Donald Trump asks "what has Hegseth done?" while defending him from impeachment articles

At a White House press briefing on Monday, President Donald Trump defended Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and attacked Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) after Massie introduced eight impeachment articles against Hegseth earlier that day. The articles allege that Hegseth carried out unlawful military orders, disregarded laws meant to protect civilians, and restricted members of Congress’s speech. Trump, who said he had not watched Massie’s announcement, focused on Massie’s character rather than the accusations, later repeating criticism on Truth Social and again on Tuesday. The episode highlights congressional efforts to remove a senior Pentagon official and the president’s support for him. A September Economist/YouGov poll found 51% supported impeaching Hegseth over starting a war with Iran without congressional authorization; a Quinnipiac survey that month found 57% disapproved of his job performance.