Washington DC: US President Donald Trump on Thursday (local time) threw his support behind Secretary of War Pete Hegseth amid mounting calls for his removal and renewed impeachment threats from lawmakers, defending his leadership and pointing to what he described as successful American military operations in Iran and Venezuela.
Asked whether he was considering changes to his administration, particularly at the Pentagon, Trump praised Hegseth’s performance and dismissed criticism directed at the defense chief.
“United States Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, has done a fantastic job,” Trump said, arguing that the Pentagon had previously been dominated by an excessive number of four-star generals, many of whom he described as “woke.” He suggested that Hegseth’s efforts to challenge that establishment had contributed to the opposition he was facing.
Trump also defended his administration’s military strategy, citing operations involving Venezuela and Iran as examples of American military effectiveness.
Speaking about Venezuela, the president claimed US forces completed the operation in just 48 minutes without suffering any American fatalities, describing it as one of the greatest attacks ever witnessed.
On Iran, Trump maintained that American forces had achieved significant objectives, claiming Washington had established control over strategic areas and that its blockade was delivering substantial results.
“We have succeeded with the blockade tremendously,” he said, adding that the administration would soon decide whether additional military action was necessary to prevent Iran from rebuilding its military capabilities.
Trump further claimed that Iran could require 25 to 30 years to recover from the military campaign. However, he indicated that further strikes remained a possibility if Washington considered them necessary.
“I would rather not destroy the rest of the country if possible, but maybe I’ll have to. You’ll know soon enough,” he said.
Acknowledging the American losses in the Iran conflict, Trump said 18 US service members had been killed. However, he argued that the casualties remained considerably lower than those suffered by American forces during previous conflicts, including the Vietnam and Afghanistan wars.
The president also accused Tehran of being responsible for decades of violence, alleging that Iran had caused the deaths of thousands of Americans and at least 75,000 protesters during its domestic crackdown.
Meanwhile, Hegseth is facing increasing political pressure in Washington, with lawmakers from both parties questioning his leadership and demanding accountability over the administration’s handling of the Iran conflict.
Republican Rep. Thomas Massie on November 4 indicated that he would hold back from reintroducing impeachment articles against Hegseth if the Pentagon chief resigned.
“There is one contingency in which I won’t reintroduce the articles of impeachment: Hegseth resigns,” Massie wrote in a post on X.
Massie is reportedly preparing to push for a House vote on the impeachment effort when lawmakers return for the next congressional session.
Democratic Rep. Jason Crow has also called for Hegseth’s removal, arguing that his handling of the conflict has put American military personnel at greater risk.
Another Democratic lawmaker, Rep. Patrick Ryan, went further, describing Hegseth as the “most incompetent and immoral Secretary of Defence in American history” and indicating that an impeachment vote would be pursued when Congress reconvenes.
The political battle over Hegseth comes in the aftermath of the November 3 midterm elections, in which Republican losses are expected to strengthen Democratic oversight of the Trump administration and increase scrutiny of its military decisions.
