Todd Blanche defends Pete Hegseth after Thomas Massie's impeachment push over Iran war

WASHINGTON, DC: Attorney General Todd Blanche reacted strongly Tuesday, Sept 15, to Rep Thomas Massie's stunning decision to seek the impeachment of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for his Iran policy, telling reporters at a White House Rose Garden news conference that Hegseth "is doing a phenomenal job" and operates within the law.

Asked about the impeachment articles, Blanche initially seemed unaware of the news. "Who did?" he asked, before a reporter clarified it was Massie.

What do Thomas Massie’s articles actually allege?

Blanche said, "Oh!... Secretary Hegseth is doing a phenomenal job, and the Secretary of War doesn't just go off and do things. He follows the law. And so, the DOJ plays a role in that, and we play an active role in making sure the laws are complied with."

He categorically denied that the conflict was a war, saying that, "You called it a war. I disagree with that characterization, as does most of Congress," he said, pointing to congressional votes on the matter as evidence that neither Hegseth nor President Trump had acted improperly.

Blanche claimed that the fact that Congress had voted on the issue was proof that neither Hegseth nor Trump were at fault. "As far as why votes through Congress which have determined that he's not doing anything wrong and the president's not doing anything wrong should result in articles of impeachment, I guess you'll have to talk to Massie about that."

Massie (R-Ky) made the surprise announcement on the House floor, accusing Hegseth of violating the War Powers Resolution of 1973, which requires congressional authorization to conduct military operations lasting longer than 90 days.

“Peter Brian Hegseth, in his capacity as Secretary of Defense, has executed unlawful orders in contravention of Section 2(c) of the War Powers Resolution of 1973,” Massie declared. “Secretary of Defense Peter Hegseth, by such conduct, has demonstrated that he will remain a threat to the Constitution if allowed to remain in office, and has acted in a manner grossly incompatible with his duties and the rule of law.”

A rare break within the GOP

Massie's maneuver is an act of rebellion against his colleagues in the House who represent the party, says a member of the House who lost his primary election this year to a Trump-backed challenger.

Because the resolution was entered as a privileged matter, it requires a vote on the House floor within two days under House rules, putting the Republican leadership in a difficult position ahead of the November elections.

Massie said he did not tell party officials about the articles before introducing them.

It happened on the same day that another, equally improbable, Democratic-led initiative led by Rep. Al Green, a Texas congressman, to impeach Trump, which many Democrats found ironic, as it creates two headaches for the House GOP leadership.