Pete Hegseth has found an answer to his looming impeachment: He insults the congressman pursuing it. On November 5, 2026, the U.S. defense secretary released a video message in which he celebrated the Iran war as a historic achievement and demanded at least $350 billion in additional military spending. 2 days earlier, Republicans had lost their majorities in both chambers of Congress. Hegseth nevertheless talks about this political catastrophe with the self-assurance of a general who has won the battle. At the Pentagon, reality apparently has become a matter of personal approval.
A Defense Secretary Caught Between Delusions of Grandeur and Impeachment
His particular anger is directed at Thomas Massie. Hegseth describes the Republican congressman from Kentucky as a "disgruntled, defeated Congressman" who, along with all his Democratic allies, has brought "sham articles of impeachment" against him. Democrats had used the same method against Donald Trump twice, he claims. Their politics don't work, so they resort to political theatrics and try to personally destroy their opponents. That failed with Trump, and it will fail with him as well. That's how easily congressional oversight can be portrayed as personal persecution when someone considers himself untouchable.
Massie, however, has presented a 34-page resolution containing 8 articles of impeachment. In it, he accuses Hegseth, among other things, of conducting the war against Iran without the required authorization from Congress and continuing it after legally established deadlines had expired. Other allegations concern military attacks in international waters and the failure to respect protections for civilians. The intimidation of political critics is also cited. A secretary whose office is bound by the American Constitution would have to answer for these allegations. Hegseth prefers to insult the man demanding that he comply with it.
While Massie alleges violations of the law, Hegseth declares his war against Iran a historic undertaking. The military campaign is courageous, he says, and will ensure that Tehran never obtains nuclear weapons. Immediately after the elections, Vice President JD Vance had identified the war as the cause of the Republican defeat. Hegseth is unimpressed. What is politically shaking the country appears in his account as a personal triumph. The difference between military power and political wisdom could hardly be clearer.
And the secretary has another demand. Congress is supposed to approve at least an additional $350 billion for the American armed forces. At the same time, Hegseth is advocating a total defense budget of $1.5 trillion. The United States must maintain its military superiority, he argues. The very Congress whose attempts at oversight he denounces as destructive politics is supposed to entrust him with enormous sums of money. When it comes to funding, the people's representatives are welcome. As soon as they question the legality of his actions, they become the enemy.
Hegseth also presents his record of reshaping the armed forces with demonstrative pride. He counts the removal of senior military leaders and the abolition of diversity and equality programs among his successes. He describes such programs as Marxist. He declares being transgender a mental illness incompatible with military service. Men and women must meet the same standards in the military, he says. Climate policy has no place there either. His conception of military strength begins with deciding which people he wants to exclude from the armed forces.
Hegseth advises his soldiers not to let the political disputes distract them. Under Trump, the department has regained its strength, he says. The attacks against him are themselves proof of how successful his work is, he claims. Finally, he invokes Trump's behavior after the 2024 assassination attempt and promises to keep fighting.
Massie wants to bring the impeachment resolution back for a vote next week. Trump is standing by his secretary for now. Starting in January, Democrats will gain the congressional power to investigate Hegseth's decisions comprehensively. His video message already reveals how he envisions this confrontation: The secretary demands obedience while placing himself above any criticism. The Constitution of the United States, however, contains no exception for that kind of attitude.
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