US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday dismissed an impeachment effort against him as a political stunt, defending his stewardship of the Iran war and other military operations conducted under President Donald Trump.

Speaking at a Pentagon press conference, Hegseth described the push to remove him as "a farce," "a stunt," and an act of "slander" and "sabotage," according to his remarks.

His combative appearance came as Congress edged closer to a rare impeachment vote over alleged misconduct tied to military campaigns against Iran and Yemen's Houthis, as well as the controversial killing of suspected drug smugglers in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific.

A Test for Trump

The impeachment effort poses a fresh challenge to Trump, who was already weakened by last week's midterm losses. Anger over the faltering Iran war and the resulting spike in fuel prices helped drive voters to deliver a historic rejection of Republicans, according to the president's own acknowledgment.

Trump has conceded that the war, which Hegseth has strongly championed, contributed to his party losing control of both the House and the Senate.

Yet moments after Hegseth's televised briefing, the 80-year-old president signaled his backing. "Pete Hegseth gets an 'A' PLUS, PLUS, PLUS," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

Vice President JD Vance, who has also attributed the midterm losses to the Iran conflict, likewise stood behind the Pentagon chief on Tuesday, saying he has "obviously not" committed impeachable offenses.

Timing and Arithmetic

The expected House impeachment vote falls during the lame duck period, while Republicans still hold their narrow majority, ahead of January when a large new Democratic majority takes over.

Even if a majority in the House voted in favor, the Senate would still need a two-thirds majority to convict and remove Hegseth, a tall order even after Democrats assume power there in January.

The impeachment articles were introduced by Republican Trump critic Thomas Massie, who will soon leave Congress after losing his seat. Trump called Massie "a disgruntled, angry, defeated former Congressman" and "a TOTAL LOSER!"

Defending the Operations

Hegseth defended the operations in Yemen, Iran, Venezuela, and against alleged drug smugglers. "I stand behind every one of these operations. I was proud to execute them, and I would do it again tomorrow," he said.

He also sought to frame the effort to remove him as an attack on US troops. "These resolutions tell every one of them that their service was a crime. Their service was not a crime. These are heroes," he said.

Several of the impeachment articles relate to the Iran war, accusing Hegseth of violating the War Powers Resolution, which requires congressional consultation on US military interventions. Hegseth has described the widely unpopular war as a "courageous and historic effort."

The 2025 conflict with Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis also features in Massie's articles, which charge Hegseth with launching the operation without congressional approval and in the absence of an imminent threat to the United States.

Massie further branded strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific as "extrajudicial killings" and said Hegseth "chilled independent legal review within the Department of Defense." He also accused the Pentagon chief of suppressing free speech by attempting to punish Democratic Senator Mark Kelly over a video in which Kelly and other lawmakers urged military and intelligence personnel to refuse illegal orders.

For Hegseth, the articles amount to an attack on Trump's record, which he said he is happy to defend. "If they want to talk about... President Trump's foreign policy and national security record, let's do it. I'll see you there. Let's have a conversation about the success that I outlined here," he said.