Hegseth calls impeachment push a 'policy disagreement' as House weighs vote

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday defended himself against a potential impeachment push, calling it a "policy disagreement" rather than a high crime, during his first press briefing in six months. He rejected the effort by Rep. Thomas Massie over the Iran war and other actions. Massie, a Kentucky Republican who lost his primary, filed the impeachment resolution Monday, focusing on Hegseth's handling of the Iran conflict and military actions in Yemen and Venezuela. The resolution claims "high crimes and misdemeanors," with a House vote possible by midweek amid Republican losses in last week's midterms. Hegseth framed the effort as an indictment of service members, noting no Defense Secretary has ever been impeached for lawful military operations. The Constitution leaves the definition of impeachable acts to lawmakers, making next steps highly uncertain.