Hegseth vows to defend Pentagon policies as Democrats flip Congress – Federal News Network

“We put America and the warfighter first, always and without apology,” he said. “That fight continues in the lame duck Congress.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth criticized Democrats in a defiant post-election video posted to social media Thursday, listing “sacred cow” policies his Pentagon has ended and defending the war in Iran as a “courageous and historic effort that will ensure Iran never gets a nuclear weapon.”
Hegseth, standing on the steps of the ceremonial entrance to the Pentagon, called on “every patriotic member of Congress” to vote for a $1.5 trillion defense budget and pledged to “defend this republic from all enemies, foreign and domestic.”
“Why do the Democrats and the deep state radicals really hate us?” he asked. “[Diversity, equity and inclusion] is a Marxist ideology built to destroy us, so we crushed it. … Patriots are now in control. Being trans is a mental illness incompatible with military service. Combating climate change is not a military objective.”
The video is Hegseth’s first public statement on the results of Tuesday’s midterm elections. Last month, he directed the armed forces to pause operations for a day so troops could register to vote and cast a ballot. 
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Democrats will retake control of both chambers of Congress after flipping dozens of seats in a historic cycle viewed as a referendum on the monthslong Iran War and rising living costs.
“The reason we lost is the war,” Vice President JD Vance said on social media Wednesday. “Any honest conversation about where we go from here must start there.”
Hegseth’s unapologetic message comes as Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) prepares to refile articles of impeachment against the former Fox News host when lawmakers return to Washington next week.
Massie first tried to force an impeachment vote in September, writing that Hegseth will “remain a threat to civilians and the laws of war, the integrity of United States diplomacy, and the Constitution if allowed to remain in office, and has acted in a manner grossly incompatible with his duties and the rule of law.” 
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) blocked the impeachment effort from moving forward by starting the fall recess early. Now Massie, who will leave office at the end of the year after losing his primary, says he believes enough Republicans will support the impeachment resolution even before Democrats take control in January.
Hegseth called Massie a “disgruntled, defeated congressman” and said the eight articles of impeachment are a “sham.” 
“Their policies don’t work, so their obsession with political theater disguised as power drives them to try to destroy their opponents,” Hegseth said of his critics in Congress. “It’s all about the politics of personal destruction. Didn’t work against President Trump, and it won’t work with me.”
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He praised Trump as a leader who has “endured more than anyone can fathom” in service of the nation, pointing to the 2024 assassination attempt Trump survived during his second run for president.
In the days since the election, Trump has publicly defended Hegseth’s tenure while reportedly mulling whether to oust him. The secretary’s name has also been floated to fill the Senate seat that will be vacated by Tennessee Governor-elect Marsha Blackburn in January.
Hegseth, who is also reportedly considering a run for president in 2028, vowed to finish what the Defense Department has started under his watch.
“They attack me, they attack us, because we are effective. It’s not going to work. We will not back down,” he said. “We put America and the warfighter first, always and without apology. And that fight continues in the lame duck Congress.”
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Rachel Cohen covers the Department of Defense for Federal News Network. An award-winning reporter and editor, she has written about the U.S. military and defense industry since 2016. To contact her about recent changes in the federal government, please email rachel.cohen@federalnewsnetwork.com or reach out on Signal at rcohen.64.
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