Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is brushing off the growing impeachment push against him, announcing that he will face reporters at the Pentagon on Tuesday as Democrats and a handful of Republicans prepare for a potential showdown over his leadership.
Hegseth made the announcement Monday while speaking with reporters in Newport, Rhode Island, where he was asked about Republican Rep. Thomas Massie’s efforts to force an impeachment vote this week.
The Pentagon chief delivered a blunt response.
“We’re not worried about that,” Hegseth said.
Rather than address the allegations in detail, Hegseth revealed that he intends to discuss the controversy during a rare Pentagon press conference.
“I’ll tell you this. Actually, I hope all of you will join us. We’re going to do a press conference tomorrow morning at the Pentagon on that very topic,” he continued. “So I’ll save my remarks there.”
The Defense Department confirmed that the briefing is scheduled for 8 a.m. ET Tuesday, marking Hegseth’s first formal Pentagon press conference in more than six months.
His last press conference at the Pentagon took place May 5.
The announcement comes as Massie prepares to revive impeachment articles originally introduced in September, accusing Hegseth of abusing his authority through military operations involving Iran and other actions overseas.
BREAKING: SEC WAR ADDRESSES IMPEACHMENT RUMORS
“We are not worried about that. We are going to have a press conference tomorrow morning at the Pentagon on that very topic. I will save my remarks there.” @SecWar https://t.co/IK0d7UCM4O
— Real America’s Voice (RAV) (@RealAmVoice) November 9, 2026
The Kentucky Republican has repeatedly criticized the administration’s handling of the Iran conflict, arguing that Congress has not provided sufficient authorization for the ongoing military campaign.
But Pete Hegseth has rejected the impeachment effort, accusing his political opponents of attempting to undermine the Trump administration through congressional proceedings.
Last Thursday, the defense secretary dismissed Massie as a “disgruntled, defeated congressman.”
He also compared the impeachment effort to the political battles President Donald Trump faced during his first administration.
POLL: Do You Approve Of Secretary Of War Pete Hegseth?
“Just like they tried against President Trump twice. You see, their policies don’t work, so their obsession with political theater disguised as power drives them to try to destroy their opponents. It’s all about the politics of personal destruction. Didn’t work against President Trump, and it won’t work with me. You can rest assured of that,” Hegseth said.
However, the controversy is no longer limited to Democrats and Thomas Massie.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., acknowledged Friday that Republican lawmakers have serious concerns about the administration’s strategy in Iran.
During an appearance on NewsNation, Comer said frustration over the conflict has spread throughout the Republican conference.
“But I can tell you with a high level of confidence that … there’s a lot of questions about Hegseth. We have no idea what the strategy is moving forward in Iran,” Comer said. “No one’s happy about Iran, and I think the Republican voters are more upset about what’s going on in Iran than the Democrat voters.”
The comments came just days after Republicans suffered major losses in the midterm elections, with the war and rising energy prices becoming central issues in the political fallout.
Democrats are also preparing to use the impeachment fight to increase pressure on the administration.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., announced Sunday that he supports removing Hegseth.
“I’m a hard yes on the Hegseth resolution. The so-called secretary of Defense has abused his power, undermined our national security and engineered this reckless and costly war of choice in Iran,” Jeffries said during an appearance on ABC News’ This Week.
Despite the growing criticism, Trump has publicly defended his defense secretary and indicated that he intends to keep him in the administration.
The president has also defended the military campaign against Iran, maintaining that preventing Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons remains a central national security priority.
Massie’s impeachment proposal would require a simple majority in the House to advance. Conviction and removal from office would require a two-thirds majority in the Senate.
Republicans still control both chambers until the newly elected Congress takes office in January, meaning Massie would need support from Democrats and some fellow Republicans to advance his resolution during the lame-duck session.
Massie is scheduled to hold his own press conference Monday afternoon to discuss the impeachment articles.
Hegseth, meanwhile, is preparing to address the allegations directly from the Pentagon.
With his first formal Pentagon press conference since May scheduled for Tuesday morning, the defense secretary is making clear that he has no immediate plans to retreat from the confrontation.
