Hegseth says impeachment push in Congress amounts to ‘sabotage’

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed back against an impeachment effort against him over his management of the military, saying the moves had turned disagreements over Pentagon policy into a politicized “farce.” “I was proud to execute” my orders in Iran and the Western Hemisphere, he said, “and I would do it again.” kAmw68D6E9 H2D C6DA@?5:?8 @? E96 52J E96 w@FD6 :D D4965F=65 E@ 368:? AC@465FC2= G@E6D @? 2? :>A6249>6?E C6D@=FE:@? E92E #6AF3=:42? #6AC6D6?E2E:G6 %9@>2D |2DD:6 :?EC@5F465 @? |@?52J — 2?5 @?6 H66< 27E6C E96 v~! =@DE E96 >:5E6C> 6=64E:@?D[ =2C86=J 3642FD6 @7 E96 4@?7=:4E :? E96 |:55=6 t2DE]k^Am kAm“%9:D :D ?@E A2EC:@E:D>[ E9:D :D D23@E286[” w68D6E9 D2:5[ D2J:?8 96 H2D AC@F5 @7 H92E 96 56D4C:365 2D G:4E@C:6D :? xC2? 2?5 '6?6KF6=2] “xE’D 2 A@=:E:42= DA64E24=6[ 2 A6CD@?2= >2?:76DE@ 5C:G6? 3J 68@ 2?5 C6D6?E>6?E]”k^Am kAm%96 3C:67:?8 :D w68D6E9’D 7:CDE DF3DE2?E:2= ?6HD 4@?76C6?46 2E E96 !6?E28@? D:?46 |2J[ H96? 96 =2C86=J DE@AA65 FA52E:?8 E96 >65:2 23@FE 56G6=@A>6?ED :? E96 xC2? H2C 6G6? 2D E96 4@?7=:4E 5C28865 @?]k^Am kAm|2DD:6’D >@E:@? 244FD65 w68D6E9 @7 H28:?8 %CF>A’D H2C 282:?DE xC2? H:E9@FE AC@A6C 4@?8C6DD:@?2= 2FE9@C:K2E:@?[ 4@?5F4E:?8 6IEC2;F5:4:2= <:==:?8D H:E9 2EE24:?:>:K6 4:G:=:2? 42DF2=E:6D :?4=F5:?8 2? 2EE24< @? 2? xC2?:2? 6=6>6?E2CJ D49@@= E92E <:==65 >@C6 E92? `de A6@A=6[ >@DE=J 49:=5C6?]k^Am kAmw6 2=D@ 244FD65 w68D6E9 @7 :==682==J <:5?2AA:?8 '6?6KF6=2? =6256C }:4@=2D |25FC@[ H9:49 |2DD:6 42==65 “2? 24E @7 H2C 282:?DE 2 D@G6C6:8? 4@F?ECJ 6I64FE65 F?56C E96 8F:D6 @7 ?2C4@E:4D =2H 6?7@C46>6?E[ E9@F89 :? 24EF2=:EJ :?E6?565 E@ 2DD6CE &]$] 4@?EC@= @G6C '6?6KF6=2’D @:= C6D6CG6D]”k^Am kAm!C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A G:8@C@FD=J 5676?565 w68D6E9 @? |@?52J[ D:8?2=:?8 E92E 96 H@F=5 ?@E D9@CE\4:C4F:E E96 :>A6249>6?E 677@CE 3J 5:D>:DD:?8 E96 5676?D6 D64C6E2CJ]k^Am kAm“w6 92D H@? E96 H2C :? EH@ A=246D[ EH@ 3:8 A=246D[ G6CJ :>A@CE2?E[ G6CJ :>A24E7F=[ 2?5 E96J H6C6 H@?[” %CF>A D2:5[ C676CC:?8 E@ xC2? 2?5 '6?6KF6=2] “#62==J[ H92E 92D w68D6E9 5@?6n”k^Am kAms6>@4C2ED[ H9@ E2<6 @G6C E96 w@FD6 2?5 E96 $6?2E6 :? y2?F2CJ[ 92G6 2=D@ D2:5 E96J H:== :?G6DE:82E6 w68D6E9 2?5 A@E6?E:2= 4@?7=:4ED @7 :?E6C6DE :? 5676?D6 AC@4FC6>6?E]k^Am kAm“{6E’D 36 4=62C 23@FE H92E E9:D C6D@=FE:@? 24EF2==J 5@6D[ :E E6==D @FC 6?6>:6D — xC2?[ E96 42CE6=D[ 6G6CJ 25G6CD2CJ H2E49:?8 — E92E E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D H:== 24EF2==J AF?:D9 :ED @H? H2CC:@CD 2?5 :ED @H? 4:G:=:2? =6256CD9:A 7@C DF446DD7F==J 6I64FE:?8 =2H7F= >:=:E2CJ @A6C2E:@?D[” w68D6E9 D2:5 2E E96 3C:67:?8]k^Am kAm—k6>m(:E9 2DD:DE2?46 7C@> y6? yF5D@?k^6>m]k^Am