EASTORA REPORT | Pete Hegseth says the war with Iran did not need to be popular. It needed to be fought. Now, with a Republican moving to impeach him over that war, the U.S. defense secretary says he is not worried.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, November 9, after an address at the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, Hegseth defended Donald Trump’s decision to attack Iran. “It doesn’t have to be necessarily popular, but it can be necessary,” he said, echoing Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“Someone had to confront the Iranian regime,” Hegseth argued. “You can’t let crazy Islamists have a nuclear bomb.” He predicted that history would judge Trump “very kindly” for taking military action. Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons; Hegseth’s remarks did not establish that Tehran had one.
The defense came days after Republicans lost control of Congress in the midterm elections. An Associated Press survey found roughly six in ten voters considered the decision to attack Iran wrong. Vice President JD Vance has also linked the war to his party’s defeat. The conflict has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and pushed up energy prices, while Iranian attacks have continued against U.S.-used bases in the region.
The challenge to Hegseth comes from Representative Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky. On Monday, Massie introduced eight articles of impeachment, including allegations that the Pentagon continued fighting in Iran without the congressional authorization required by the War Powers Resolution. Massie says the war has continued for more than 90 days without authorization. The charges remain allegations, not findings of wrongdoing.
“We’re not worried about impeachment,” Hegseth told reporters. He said he would address the effort at a Pentagon news conference on Tuesday morning, his first formal briefing in more than six months.
Trump continues to back his defense secretary, and Republican House leaders oppose Massie’s move. A House vote could come within days. Hegseth insists the war was necessary; Congress may soon have to decide whether the way it was waged warrants impeachment.