Hegseth’s team gives talking points to allies before expected impeachment vote

Hegseth’s team gives talking points to allies before expected impeachment vote Aides to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are circulating a four-page set of talking points to allies that encourages them to defend the Pentagon chief’s record as he faces an impending impeachment vote. The document, a copy of which was obtained by The Washington Post, characterizes the impeachment effort as a “politicized spectacle.” It urges Republicans to fight back “while we still hold the trifecta,” an apparent reference to the GOP’s control, for now, of the White House and both chambers of Congress. The impeachment effort is led by a Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who alleges, among other things, that Hegseth violated the 1973 War Powers Act by waging war in Iran without the consent of Congress and continued the conflict despite lawmakers’ vote to terminate it. The talking points defend not only the war in Iran but also the Trump administration’s deadly military campaign against suspected drug traffickers in Latin America and its strikes in Yemen, and suggest that impeaching Hegseth “weakens America on the world stage.” The document calls Massie, who is expected to file his articles of impeachment later Monday, a “rogue legislator” and the impeachment an attempt at “settling political scores.” A House vote on the impeachment articles could happen as soon as Wednesday. Massie told The Post in a recent interview that he believes there is a “decent chance” the initiative will pass the House and become a “stain” on Hegseth’s record. “If he’s contemplating leaving,” the congressman said, “this would be a good time to do it.” Pentagon deputy press secretary Joel Valdez said Hegseth and his team are “taking the offensive, and we will continue aggressively equipping the American people and our supporters with the unvarnished truth” to defend him against the impeachment effort. Circulation of the talking points follows the Pentagon’s release last week of an almost six-minute video in which Hegseth denounces the impeachment push and touts his record since becoming defense secretary in January 2025. On Tuesday, Hegseth also plans to hold his first press briefing since May. Two former administration officials who spoke to The Post said that, based on conversations they continue to have with senior Trump personnel, there is not an appetite inside the White House for a prolonged defense of Hegseth. They said it’s telling that Trump so far has not attacked the impeachment process and seems to be sitting back to let it play out. Noah Robertson contributed to this report.