Donald Trump says he will back Pete Hegseth as impeachment resolution is filed
Trump told reporters he will stand by Hegseth after a congressman filed an impeachment resolution; Hegseth will brief journalists today.
President Donald Trump told reporters he would back Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, hours after a congressman introduced a resolution to impeach Hegseth.
Trump praised Hegseth for what he said were victories abroad, claiming Hegseth "won the war" in Venezuela and is "winning the war" in Iran — a conflict the report notes is still ongoing.
Hegseth has scheduled a briefing with journalists for today to address the matter.
Exchange with reporters
Reporter: "Will you stand by Pete Hegseth if he is impeached?"
Trump: "Yes, I will stand by him."
Reporter: "So, even if he is impeached, will you keep him as defense secretary?"
Trump: "I will stand by him, yes. He won two wars. He was the chief. We all won. I had great people."
When a reporter raised allegations quoted as coming from "Mesi," the exchange continued:
Reporter: "Mesi said that he committed illegal actions."
Trump: "What?"
Reporter: "Mesi said that he committed illegal actions."
Trump: "Mesi is a loser. Just like you are losers at CNN. Just like your ratings are catastrophic. Mesi is a loser heavy loser. I ran."
Trump added a broader reflection on his past campaign: "I did something that no one else has done. I opposed a man who, in his own way, was quite popular in his state. And I beat him convincingly," Trump said.
Photo: press material from the event
