US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth confirmed, on Thursday, that he will not stop "fighting" to confront efforts within Congress to remove him from his position. Hegseth defended the war on Iran, while the Republicans attribute their electoral loss to the aforementioned war, of which the minister was one of the most prominent supporters. On the other hand, Democrats vowed to open investigations into Hegseth and his management style at the Pentagon.

Published on: 06/11/2026 - 12:16 Last updated: 06/11/2026 - 12:30

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth pledged, in a video message on Thursday, to continue the "fight" and stand up to efforts within Congress to remove him.

Hegseth also defended the war on Iran, describing it as a "courageous and historic" effort, while Republicans attribute the electoral loss to this war, of which he was one of the most prominent defenders.

His statements, published on social media platforms, came amid mounting criticism from his opponents in Congress, while President Donald Trump avoided answering questions about the possible dismissal of his Defense Minister, contenting himself with expressing his appreciation for him.

"Why is he still in office?"

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries wrote in a post, asking: “Why is Pete Hegseth still in office?”

To view this content from X (Twitter) it is necessary to allow the collection of views and ads from X (Twitter).

Hegseth, a former Fox News presenter, is seen as a divisive figure. He aroused hostility towards himself, even within his own Republican Party. His opponents in Congress criticize his handling of the Iran War, which Vice President J.D. Vance said cost Republicans control of Congress, in addition to Hegseth's dismissal of a number of senior military officials and the straining of his relations with lawmakers, while the administration seeks to obtain a defense spending package worth $1.5 trillion.

Read also: Washington: Increasing pressure on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after the Democrats won Congress

The Democrats, who succeeded in controlling Congress in the elections that took place on Tuesday, vowed to investigate Hegseth and the way he ran the Pentagon.

Aides to members of Congress say this will include investigating the dismissal of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and other issues.

For his part, Republican Representative Thomas Massie pledged that next week he would resubmit articles to hold Hegseth accountable with the aim of removing him. Massie indicated that the measures would be "more gentle" than what he expected, once Republicans hand over control of Congress to Democrats next year. “There will be hearings and trials,” Massey said on X.

But Hegseth, on the other hand, defended his management of the Pentagon, in a video clip lasting more than four minutes, in which he boasted about the dismissal of senior officials in the ministry, ending diversity initiatives, and banning transgender people from joining the army.

Trump appointing a replacement for Hegseth is still a possibility

Hegseth said to the camera: “As you can see, they are attacking me, they are attacking us. Because we are taking effective steps. But their attempts will be of no use. We will not back down.”

The American minister described the efforts to impeach and isolate him as a "farce," noting that Trump himself had been subjected to two isolation attempts. "It's all about the politics of destroying the person," he said. "It didn't work against President Trump, and it won't work with me. Be sure of that."

For his part, Trump, on Thursday, praised Hegseth when asked if he expected any changes in the staff, and said that the Secretary of Defense is "doing a great job." “We had a very large number of generals,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “All the generals were four-stars.”

Trump also praised his minister's role in US military operations in Venezuela and Iran. He said: "What happened in Venezuela was amazing... And in Iran, we have been there for seven months and we control everything we wanted to control."

But sources said that the possibility of Trump appointing a replacement for Hegseth is still a possibility, at a time when Republicans continue to assess their losses.

Republican Senator Thom Tillis: 'Hegseth's reckoning is coming'

On Wednesday, J.D. Vance publicly questioned the feasibility of the Iran war. He said it cost Republicans control of Congress. This came in exceptional statements that raised questions about whether Trump would continue to move forward with the resumption of major combat operations against Iran, as he threatens to do.

Republican Senator Thom Tillis told CBS News on Tuesday that Hegseth's "reckoning" was coming, and that his tense relationship with lawmakers was undermining the Trump administration's efforts to pass a $1.5 trillion defense spending package in Congress.

It is noteworthy that Hegseth could face scrutiny regarding his policy towards Ukraine, and US military strikes on boats suspected of involvement in drug smuggling in the territorial waters of Latin America, which some Democrats say may constitute “war crimes.”

France 24/Reuters

Keywords related to the article

The content you want to browse is no longer in service or is currently unavailable.