Hegseth Vows to Finish Term, Fight House Impeachment Push Head-On

Senate needs a two-thirds vote to remove him

Sen. Thom Tillis says his regret is severe

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said he will not step down even as the House moves toward an impeachment vote.

The Wall Street Journal reported on November 7 that Hegseth told aides and allies he intends to serve out his full term and confront any impeachment vote in Congress directly. Special adviser Tim Parlatore echoed that stance, saying, “The secretary is not going anywhere. He will serve out the full four-year term.”

President Donald Trump’s recent decision to install hard-liner Stephen Miller as White House chief of staff also appears to strengthen Hegseth’s position. The two had previously aligned on major security policies, including tightening the southern border and deploying the military. Shortly after the personnel announcement, Hegseth posted a photo with Miller on social media and wrote, “Patriots have taken command.”

Trump has continued to back Hegseth in both public and private. The Pentagon has cast the impeachment effort as a political show and said it would mount an aggressive defense, following what it described as Trump’s example of never backing down.

Criticism is emerging on Capitol Hill, however, from both parties. Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, who voted to confirm Hegseth, said, “My regret is severe,” and added that Hegseth has badly damaged even his ties with Republican lawmakers. Tillis said he would support impeachment and urge other lawmakers to join him.

If the House ultimately holds an impeachment vote, Hegseth would become the first civilian Pentagon chief to face one since Secretary of War William Belknap in 1876. Removal remains difficult because conviction in the Senate requires support from at least two-thirds of senators.

Lee Jung-woo, Hankyung.com reporter krse9059@hankyung.com