PETE’S SAKE

Panicked Trump Loses It as Rebel Plots Embarrassing Blow

The president is sticking by Pentagon Pete Hegseth, but the defense secretary’s future is on the line.

Donald Trump has launched a furious attack on outgoing Rep. Thomas Massie after the Kentucky Republican moved to force a vote on impeaching Pete Hegseth.

In a Monday night Truth Social post, the 80-year-old president lashed out at “loser” Massie after the lawmaker followed through on his threat to bring articles of impeachment against the defense secretary over allegations that he illegally waged war in Iran without congressional approval and abused his power.

While multiple Democrats said they will back efforts to impeach the top Trump official, it is unclear whether there is enough Republican support in the still GOP-controlled House for the effort to succeed.

Some believe the impeachment attempt could succeed as outgoing House Republicans try to make Hegseth carry the can for their election defeats amid intense voter backlash against the deeply unpopular Iran war.

Trump has defended Hegseth so far despite mounting pressure, rejecting calls to fire the defense secretary and make him the GOP’s post-midterm fall guy for his handling of the Middle East conflict.

Trump continued to show support for the embattled Hegseth while urging Republicans not to back the impeachment effort.

“Defeated Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, a total loser, is trying to Impeach perhaps the most popular and successful military official in the Country, Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth,” Trump wrote.

“With recruitment at an ALL-TIME HIGH, from an all-time low under Sleepy Joe Biden, and TWO VICTORIES, Venezuela and Iran, Pete Hegseth should be praised, not Impeached. Congress, stand up for Pete!!!”

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Trump also defended Hegseth while continuing his attacks on Massie—who lost his re-election bid after being defeated in the GOP primary by a Trump-endorsed challenger—as well as CNN and the network’s anchor Kaitlan Collins, during a furious exchange with reporters on Monday.

“Massie’s a loser, just like you’re a loser at CNN, just like your ratings are a loser. Massie is a loser, stone-cold loser,” Trump said.

Collins discussed the effort to impeach Hegseth and the president’s Truth Social post with Massie during Monday night’s broadcast of The Source.

“Well, this isn’t a popularity contest. I didn’t offer these articles of impeachment because I thought Pete Hegseth was ineffective, or because I disagreed with his policy. Now, both of those things may be true, but those aren’t the substance of these eight articles,” Massie said.

“He has been effective. He was effective at killing 200 schoolchildren. He was effective at bombing fishing boats that may or may not have had people who were guilty of smuggling drugs. He’s been effective at waging an unconstitutional kidnapping in Venezuela,” Massie added.

“In some aspect, he has been effective, and that’s what we’re impeaching him for: his effectiveness in breaking the law and violating the Constitution.”

The Daily Beast has contacted the Pentagon for comment.

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