Washington DC [US], November 10 : US President Donald Trump has said he would be disappointed if republican lawmakers voted in favour of impeaching US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, reiterating his support for the Pentagon chief amid growing congressional pressure over his role in the military campaign against Iran.
Speaking to C-SPAN, Trump responded to a question about the possibility of Republicans supporting Hegseth's impeachment, saying the Secretary of War had overseen two military victories and deserved the party's backing.
“I'd be disappointed in them. Look, Pete has won two wars. I mean, he's been the head person in two wars. He has General Caine and great people,” Trump said.
The President's remarks come as Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky has introduced articles of impeachment against Hegseth on the House floor, CNN reported.
Under legislative rules, the House of Representatives is required to take up a vote on the impeachment measure by Wednesday.
Introducing the resolution, Massie accused Hegseth of abusing the authority of his office through military actions during the conflict with Iran, alleging that the Defence Secretary had "knowingly executed and implemented unlawful orders to initiate war against a foreign nation".
Massie further argued that Hegseth's conduct made him a threat to the US Constitution and incompatible with the responsibilities of his office.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also backed Hegseth, saying the Pentagon chief had "done a great job".
Speaking to reporters in Paris on the sidelines of the G7 Foreign Ministers' meeting, Rubio defended Hegseth against criticism from lawmakers and the media.
"I work with him, so I see perhaps a side of him that the media doesn't see and members of Congress may not see," CNN quoted Rubio as saying.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries has also endorsed the impeachment resolution, accusing Hegseth of abusing his authority, undermining national security and engineering what he described as a costly war with Iran.
Hegseth, however, has dismissed the impeachment campaign as politically motivated, saying, "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."