ExclusiveIt's Over for The Secretary of War

At the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth delivered a message of defiance, I stand behind every one of these operations. I was proud to execute them, and I would do it again tomorrow. These displays were honest and honorable. But outside that briefing room, a different battle was gathering momentum. An effort in Congress to impeach the man overseeing America's military. Welcome to News Planet. I'm your host, Kathleen Lee. On Monday, November 9th, Thomas Massey, a Kentucky Republican representative, introduced eight articles of impeachment against Hixson. They concerned the Iran War, operations in Yemen and Venezuela, lethal strikes against alleged drug smuggling boats, and the Pentagon's treatment of Senator Mark Kelly. The allegations include continuing hostilities against Iran without congressional authorization and disregarding laws intended to minimize civilian casualties. These are just allegations, not findings of guilt. Hegseth rejects the effort as a political spectacle and insists the operations were lawful and successful. After all, a president conducting military operations needs a civilian defense leader who understands the strategy, coordinates its execution, and accepts responsibility for difficult decisions. Hegseth argues that punishing officials for such sends a dangerous message to adversaries. He says the impeachment effort tells Iran and other enemies that America will turn against its own military leadership. That is his warning. If he were ultimately removed, Trump would lose a senior official publicly committed to executing and defending his military strategy. A leadership transition during active operations could impose additional demands. Transferring responsibilities, establishing working relationships, and maintaining consistent Iran could gain the upper hand in this conflict, and something like this would compromise the lives of all US citizens. President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio also stepped up to defend Hegseth. Trump insisted, what about impeaching the leaders of these stupid wars? Questioning why previous leaders responsible for decades of American wars didn't face the same scrutiny. Rubio supported Hegseth and Trump, adding, The devastation that our economic campaign is having on the Iranian regime is working so well that the President really doesn't have any need to conduct major combat operations. He also assured that the U.S. combat military is always on standby, ready to stop any suspicious Iranian action. These leaders committed to difficult decisions, accepting all of the disadvantages it would give them, especially during midterms. Dismantling this plan by replacing Hegseth could undo all the work Trump had put together for the country, rendering everyone's sacrifices meaningless. Unfortunately, it's neither something that Democrats care about, nor something many Republicans realize. People only care about what they see on the surface, like gas prices, housing, and incidents of social issues. They never notice the real terror happening behind the scenes, and the dilemmas Trump has to battle. But it's something that he and many others had accepted Their objective is to keep American citizens safe. If they want to come for the warriors, they're going to have to come through me," Hegseth asserted. We will not apologize for putting American lives first. America needs decisive leadership against genuine threats. It also needs authority that can withstand scrutiny. Strength is not simply fighting without hesitation. It is acting with purpose, lawful authority, and a strategy the country can sustain. That's all we have today for News Planet. Thanks for watching and we'll see you next time.