Hegseth Defends Iran War After Vance Blames It for GOP Losses

Hegseth called the war a necessary undertaking and said he respected Vance, describing the vice president as a critical member of the team. Asked about Vance’s assessment, Hegseth said he would not engage in finger-pointing and added that politics was not his focus.

Vance said the Iran conflict had frustrated the public with the administration, alongside the cost of living and inflation, and the U.S. relationship with Israel. He challenged those who believed the war was worth the political cost, after Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress and took seats in states that had been Republican strongholds.

Hegseth said he had acted on President Donald Trump’s orders and stood by the decision to go to war, saying it was intended to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. He also rejected a potential impeachment effort as a political spectacle.

Republican Rep. Thomas Massie has filed eight impeachment charges against Hegseth. They include allegations that he waged war against Iran without congressional approval and authorized extrajudicial killings in the Caribbean. A House vote could come as soon as Wednesday; Massie said he would seek separate votes on the articles if the resolution proceeds.

Whether enough Republicans will support the effort remains uncertain. Hegseth also declined to confirm a report that Stephen Miller had offered to become White House chief of staff if he could secure an end to the war.

Hegseth Defends Iran War as Impeachment Vote Nears

Hegseth is standing by a war that Vance says angered voters and contributed to the loss of both chambers of Congress. At a November 10 press conference, the defense secretary called the conflict necessary and said he was following President Donald Trump’s orders.

Vance cited the Iran war alongside living costs, inflation and the U.S. relationship with Israel as sources of voter anger. His criticism puts the political price of the conflict in direct view, even as Hegseth declined to assign blame and praised Vance as a critical member of the team.

The accountability question is also before the House. Republican Rep. Thomas Massie has introduced eight impeachment articles, including allegations that Hegseth waged war against Iran without congressional approval. A vote could come as soon as Wednesday, and Massie says he will seek votes on each article separately if the measure advances.

Hegseth dismissed the impeachment effort as a political spectacle and defended the war as necessary to keep Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Whether Republicans join Democrats in supporting impeachment remains uncertain. The dispute leaves lawmakers weighing the administration’s claimed security rationale against allegations about the secretary’s use of war powers.

Hegseth Stands by Iran Mission as Vance Blames Election Losses

Hegseth made clear he would not turn the Iran war into a public blame game with Vice President JD Vance. At a November 10 press conference, he called the conflict necessary, said he acted on President Donald Trump’s orders and credited Vance as a critical member of the team.

Vance argued that voters were angry about the war, inflation and the U.S. relationship with Israel after Democrats won control of the House and Senate. Hegseth did not embrace the vice president’s election analysis, saying politics was not his focus and defending the mission as an effort to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

The defense secretary also pushed back against a bid to impeach him, calling it a political spectacle. Republican Rep. Thomas Massie’s eight articles include allegations that Hegseth waged war against Iran without congressional approval. A House vote could come as soon as Wednesday, though support among Republicans is unsettled.

Massie says he wants separate votes on the articles if the measure proceeds. The immediate test for Congress is whether the allegations persuade enough Republicans to join Democrats, while Hegseth insists the war and his leadership should be judged on the mission’s stated purpose.