In brief
On Tuesday, the White House rejected a bipartisan effort to impeach Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, urging lawmakers to refer the resolution to committee. A CNN source reports GOP leaders are not planning to whip the motion, indicating potential intra‑party tensions. The move follows Republican calls for impeachment over policy disagreements relating to Iran.
White House officials in Washington on Tuesday formally opposed a bipartisan push to impeach Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, according to Xinhua.
Officials urged Congress to stall the impeachment resolution by referring it to committee, a tactic that would delay or block its passage.
The resolution, backed by several Republican lawmakers, centers on Hegseth’s handling of the U.S. military engagement with Iran and alleged policy missteps.
Xinhua reports that the White House saw the impeachment filing as a political stunt lacking substantive evidence.
A CNN live‑stream update noted that House GOP leaders said they were not planning to formally whip the impeachment motion, indicating potential intra‑party tensions.
The move follows earlier reports that a Republican lawmaker sought to impeach Hegseth over disagreements related to the Iran conflict, although the initiative has met with limited traction.
White House spokespersons said any attempt to impeach Hegseth would divert attention from ongoing defense policy debates.
The Department of Defense has not issued a statement in response to the White House’s stance, but sources close to Hegseth suggest he sees the move as a political distraction.
Observers note that the timing of the White House objection coincides with the upcoming midterm election cycle, during which defense policy remains a key issue.
The White House has called on Congress to proceed cautiously, citing the need to preserve institutional stability amid political uncertainty.
