{"id":2703855,"date":"2026-11-11T00:35:00","date_gmt":"2026-11-11T05:35:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-political-argument-against-pete-hegseth\/"},"modified":"2026-11-11T00:38:29","modified_gmt":"2026-11-11T05:38:29","slug":"the-political-argument-against-pete-hegseth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-political-argument-against-pete-hegseth\/","title":{"rendered":"The Political Argument Against Pete Hegseth"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">12<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fthe-political-argument-against-pete-hegseth%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2703855&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Rep. Thomas Massie reintroduced impeachment articles against Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, though the House sent them to committee. Critics say Hegseth\u2019s mismanagement, public missteps, and aggressive wartime posture made him a political liability. The administration, uneasy about the war, could make him the scapegoat: removing Hegseth would be politically costly but might appease critics and be presented to Tehran as a substantive change without altering policy.Alternatively the White House could defend him, but ousting him now could offer political and diplomatic advantages.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"c-blog-post__content s-wysiwyg s-wysiwyg--blog\">\n<div style=\"margin-bottom:30px;\" id=\"elevenlabs-audionative-widget\" data-height=\"90\" data-width=\"100%\" data-frameborder=\"no\" data-scrolling=\"no\" data-publicuserid=\"cb0d9922301244fcc1aeafd0610a8e90a36a320754121ee126557a7416405662\" data-playerurl=\"https:\/\/elevenlabs.io\/player\/index.html\" >Loading the <a href=\"https:\/\/elevenlabs.io\/text-to-speech\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Elevenlabs Text to Speech<\/a> AudioNative Player&#8230;<\/div>\n<p><script src=\"https:\/\/elevenlabs.io\/player\/audioNativeHelper.js\" type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/script>                            <\/p>\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap wp-block-paragraph\">Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) on Monday reintroduced articles of impeachment against Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Slippery Peter survived the Tuesday night vote in the House, which referred the impeachment to a committee and effectively killed it, but it is not inconceivable that the new, Democrat-heavy Congress will take another shot in the new year. The articles covered a fair bit of ground, but the nut of the argument was that Congress did not declare war against Iran or otherwise authorize the use of force, so Hegseth\u2019s prosecution of the conflict has been unconstitutional and hence constitutes the \u201chigh crimes and misdemeanors\u201d underpinning an impeachment case.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The conventional wisdom holds that this development does not look so good for the White House, politically. Having one of your cabinet officials impeached is embarrassing; even if the process ends in an acquittal by the Senate, it still gums up the works. It\u2019s not a great way to recover from the hangover from last Tuesday\u2019s midterm blowout.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the conventional wisdom does not account for the art, science, and mystery of political judo. Consider that the administration has decided it doesn\u2019t like the war very much\u2014not just Vice President J.D. Vance, but also the principal, President Donald Trump, who <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/read-the-full-transcript-of-ross-douthats-interview-with-president-trump\/\">sounds<\/a> less than eager to return to the exertions of earlier rounds. Wrapping the thing up is the sticking point, though. A sudden, full-administration about-face would be damaging domestically, and the Iranians do not seem inclined publicly to take a generous line. (And no wonder\u2014their calculus, after the 12-Day War and earlier episodes of <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >kabuki-style proportional military responses<\/a>, is that going ape is the only way to deter further attacks.)<\/p>\n<p>                         <!-- \/22404337467,3946880\/theamericanconservative-Leaderboard-Top -->                         <\/p>\n<div id='div-gpt-ad-1742316429780-0' style='min-width: 300px; min-height: 50px; max-width: 100%; '>                         <\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Allow me to introduce into this unhappy broil our aggressively coiffed scapegoat, Peter B. Hegseth.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let us remember that Hegseth <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theamericanconservative.com\/lets-bet-on-pete-hegseths-professional-future\/\">has not been<\/a> an optimally competent and PR-neutral official, even before he started howling for blood on live television. His Defense Department has been a staffing clown-show, largely self-inflicted; his high-profile reprisals against staffers, some of whom were his longtime friends and allies, in the end turned on entirely baseless accusations of leaking. He did not cover himself in glory during <em>l\u2019affaire Signalgate<\/em>, although the preponderance of the responsibility fell (justly) on one of the administration\u2019s other telegenic hominids, Mike Waltz, who was summarily exiled to the cocktail circuit in Turtle Bay. Hegseth has been subject to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2024\/11\/21\/nx-s1-5199630\/police-report-gives-details-timeline-of-the-sexual-assault-claim-against-pete-hegseth\">bimbo eruptions<\/a> and weird <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/foxandfriends\/status\/1914661586544845294\">TV appearances<\/a>, and his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stripes.com\/theaters\/us\/2026-09-29\/hegseth-top-leaders-quantico-beardos-fitness-23003166.html\">signature efforts<\/a> to bring the culture war to the Pentagon have received mixed reviews. And then he became the face of blowing up fishermen and schoolgirls, and posting hype videos about those activities. We\u2019re not talking about hanging Doug Burgum out to dry here; Hegseth has been a liability machine from the start.<\/p>\n<section class=\"c-subscribe-email\" >\n<div class=\"l-container\">\n<div class=\"c-subscribe-email__wrap\">\n<div class=\"c-subscribe-email__head\">\n<h4 class=\"c-subscribe-email__heading\">Subscribe Today<\/h4>\n<h5 class=\"c-subscribe-email__subheading\">Get daily emails in your inbox<\/h5>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-subscribe-email__form-wrap\">      <!-- Begin Mailchimp Signup Form -->      <\/p>\n<div id=\"mc_embed_signup\">\n<form id=\"mc-embedded-subscribe-form\" class=\"validate\" action=\"https:\/\/theamericanconservative.us4.list-manage.com\/subscribe\/post?u=442e644c01f8e54e26e4ff3f8&#038;id=f7b67cac40\" method=\"post\" name=\"mc-embedded-subscribe-form\" novalidate target=\"_blank\">\n<div id=\"mc_embed_signup_scroll\">\n<div class=\"c-subscribe-email__fields\">              <label for=\"mce-EMAIL\" class=\"u-screenreader-text\">Email Address:<\/label>              <input id=\"mce-EMAIL\" class=\"c-subscribe-email__field\" name=\"EMAIL\" type=\"email\" value=\"\" placeholder=\"Your Email\" \/>              <input id=\"mc-embedded-subscribe\" class=\"c-subscribe-email__submit o-button o-button--red-500 o-button--solid\" name=\"subscribe\" type=\"submit\" value=\"Subscribe\" \/>            <\/div>\n<div id=\"mce-responses\" class=\"clear\">\n<div id=\"mce-error-response\" class=\"response\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"mce-success-response\" class=\"response\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>              <!-- real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups-->            <\/p>\n<div class=\"u-screenreader-text\" aria-hidden=\"true\">              <input tabindex=\"-1\" name=\"b_442e644c01f8e54e26e4ff3f8_f7b67cac40\" type=\"text\" value=\"\" \/>            <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>      <!--End mc_embed_signup-->          <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So why not pin this stupendously unpopular, difficult to resolve war on him? This is obviously an argument of expediency, not justice (mostly). The buck stops with the president, and there\u2019s plenty of blame to go around among the other creatures of the camarilla, but that is for future historians to itemize. Here and now, there is an endangered official very publicly attached to a very unpopular policy. The president is no stranger to writing off distressed assets. Why not Hegseth? By his own admission, the war is why the GOP lost midterms. If he does not take the political credit for firing his stiff-haired pit bull, it will accrue to the members of the congressional party who break with him by voting for Hegseth\u2019s ouster\u2014something that is detrimental to party discipline, to say the least. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It should be underlined that this need not change policy; even a boring secretary of defense will do what he is told to do from on high. But if, behind closed doors, this is presented to the Iranians as a substantive change, that could be useful in brokering a deal. The Iranians have an idiosyncratic and, by my lights, often defective understanding of the American political system; getting rid of the fellow who blows up schoolgirls and crows about it on the television could conceivably cultivate a more reasonable attitude in Tehran.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The other option, of course, is standing by your man. This approach is often vindicated in American politics, at least as far back as the Clinton impeachments. But a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds. There\u2019s quite a lot of upside to getting rid of Hegseth; yes, the downside is giving away a hairgel-laden scalp, but it is a scalp of diminishing value while still attached to its unpopular skull. It is perhaps time to say goodbye.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Here\u2019s a concise paraphrase of the piece:<\/p>\n<p>Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) reintroduced articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Although the House sent the measure to a committee and effectively stalled it, a future, Democrat-led Congress could attempt to revive it. The central claim is that because Congress did not declare war on Iran or authorize force, Hegseth\u2019s conduct in pursuing the conflict is unconstitutional, forming the basis for impeachment.<\/p>\n<p>Politically, this is seen as bad for the White House: impeaching a cabinet member is embarrassing and could hinder the administration even if the Senate ultimately acquits. Yet the author argues this could be a smart political move rather than a pure matter of justice. The administration reportedly dislikes the war, including President Trump, and a swift reversal could be risky domestically, while Iran may resist any public shift. Using Hegseth as the scapegoat for an unpopular policy is presented as an expedient tactic.<\/p>\n<p>Hegseth is portrayed as a problematic figure from the start-assorted staff tensions, high-profile clashes, and controversial public actions-whose role in promoting aggressive actions has drawn criticism. The piece suggests removing him could be advantageous, not necessarily to change policy but to signal a possible shift to Tehran and to alleviate internal party tensions. Ultimately, it argues there may be more upside than downside to parting ways with Hegseth, even if it comes at a political cost<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4458,"featured_media":2703856,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/tac.imgix.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-2240718497.jpg?auto=compress&#038;crop=faces%2Centropy&#038;fit=crop&#038;fm=jpg&#038;h=630&#038;ixlib=php-3.3.1&#038;q=80&#038;w=1200","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[548],"tags":[21130,27281,4188,45438,87737],"class_list":["post-2703855","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-conservative-news-daily","tag-conservatism","tag-critique","tag-media","tag-petehegseth","tag-political-argument"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/tac.imgix.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-2240718497.jpg?auto=compress&#038;crop=faces%2Centropy&#038;fit=crop&#038;fm=jpg&#038;h=630&#038;ixlib=php-3.3.1&#038;q=80&#038;w=1200","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2703855","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4458"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2703855"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2703855\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2703859,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2703855\/revisions\/2703859"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2703856"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2703855"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2703855"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2703855"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}