Hegseth responded to Massie by defending US operations and denouncing an attempted political charge. Tuesday, November 10, 2026, in the Pentagon, the Secretary of Defense rejected the eight leaders re-launched the day before by the Republican representative of Kentucky. He claims that the operations complied with the law. This position remains its defence, while the House still has to deal with the resolution.
Pete Hegseth announced this conference on Monday. He opened it with an attack on Thomas Massie, whose approach he presents as a political spectacle. The minister refused the idea that disagreements over the conduct of war justified a procedure of impeachment. He believes that they must be settled through debate, legislation and elections.
Hegseth responds to Massie on the legality of operations
The Secretary defends operations against Iran, Yemen and Venezuela, as well as strikes against suspected drug trafficking boats. He asserts that Donald Trump ordered them, that Congress was notified and that the military executed them legally.
This answer directly challenges Massie’s resolution. In his statement of 9 November, the MP accused Hegseth of having continued the war against Iran without parliamentary permission. He invoked the provisions of the 1973 War Powers Resolution and their withdrawal deadlines. The parliamentary charges and the minister’s defence are not a judicial decision.
The text also includes grievances about the protection of civilians, maritime strikes, operations in Venezuela and Yemen, and the treatment of Senator Mark Kelly. Tuesday, Hegseth rejects the charges relating to civilians. He presented the parliamentary initiative as a threat against the soldiers who had carried out his orders.
This last reading belongs to the secretary. The resolution refers to his personal responsibility in the performance of his duties. It does not charge the American soldiers collectively. The issue remains the parliamentary control over military decisions and their legal basis.
It maintains its defense of the war against Iran
Hegseth reiterated that he supported the operations ordered by Donald Trump and would be ready to execute them again. He describes the campaign against Iran as a military success. In particular, it claims the destruction of Iranian naval, air and industrial capabilities. These assessments remain those of the Pentagon and do not constitute an independent assessment of the damage.
Asked about JD Vance’s comments on the electoral cost of the war, the secretary avoided directly contradicting the vice president. He said he did not want to distribute the responsibilities. He maintained, however, that the action against Iran, in his view, met a need for security, even though it was not popular.
His conference therefore did not imply a retreat on the principle of operations. It also does not mark the announcement of a new military campaign. Hegseth defends above all his record in the face of a protest from an elected member of his own party, after the mid-term elections on 3 November.
Contacts with the Republican majority continue
The secretary said that his team in charge of relations with Congress was actively working with Republican officials. He quoted the Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, and Tom Emmer, in charge of group discipline. It provides substantial support. This statement does not allow the vote on the resolution to be counted.
Hegseth also thanks Donald Trump for his support. He indicated that he wanted to remain in office as long as the President wished. Massie had asked Trump Monday to replace him. The MP presents this option as preferable to the investigations he anticipates during the next Congress.
The elected officials currently hold their seats until the end of their term of office. The proceedings initiated this week are thus taking place before the outgoing Chamber. The mid-term election did not immediately transfer the powers to the new majority.
A vote may still be taken on the procedure
The matter must be dealt with within two legislative days for this preferred procedure. The deadline referred to remains Wednesday, 11 November. Representatives may, however, decide to classify the resolution or refer it to committee, rather than adopt the charges.
An indictment by the Chamber would not suffice to dismiss Hegseth. The Senate should then judge him. A conviction would require two thirds of the senators present. The Secretary remains in office at this stage.
The official statement of the Chamber consulted on Tuesday morning signalled the opening of the sitting and preliminary debates. Hegseth had no vote yet. The exact wording of the forthcoming vote will determine whether the elected officials decide on the charges or on their parliamentary treatment.
Real image taken from the official video of Pete Hegseth’s lecture at the Pentagon, November 10, 2026. War.gov / DVIDS, public domain in the United States. Whole image, untouched, with Libnanews editorial dressing. The use of this image does not imply any support from the US Department for Libnanews. The appearance of U.S. Department of War (DoW) visual information does not imply or constitute DoW sleep.
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