Pete Hegseth Just Claimed His Controversial Military Operations Were All 'Ordered' By Trump—And Everyone's Making The Same Point

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was criticized for saying that military operations in Iran and Venezuela were "ordered" by President Donald Trump while responding to articles of impeachment brought against him by Republican Representative Thomas Massie.

The impeachment resolution brought by Massie alleges that Hegseth abused his office in several ways, including launching military action against Iran without congressional approval, failing to safeguard civilians, and overseeing deadly strikes on suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean.

Hegseth was defiant at the Pentagon on Tuesday during the first news conference he's held in six months.

He said:

"As for the articles themselves: Iran, the cartels, Maduro, Yemen – every one was a lawful operation ordered by the commander in chief, then ordered by myself, notified to Congress, and executed by American warriors who did their jobs."

We destroyed terror regimes' capabilities, we sank the boats carrying poison to our communities, we put a narco dictator in handcuffs. These are not high crimes. This is the job and it's the job well done."

You can hear what he said in the video below.

Hegseth nonetheless admitted that the war was "not necessarily popular," a statement that put him at odds with Trump, who said Hegseth should be "praised, not impeached." Trump also called Massie, one of the most vocal leaders calling for the release of the unredacted Epstein files, a "total loser."

It's worth noting that the president does indeed have direct operational control over the armed forces during conflicts. The Constitution is clear that only Congress declare war and authorize large-scale military conflicts. The Trump administration went over the heads of Congress in declaring war on Iran in February.

If the president makes orders that are illegal, that means that those who carry out those orders have also committed illegal acts. The "I just followed orders" defense was unsuccessfully used after World War II by Nazis who were hanged after being convicted in the Nuremberg trials.

Hegseth's defensiveness did not go over well.

The Trump administration has been trying to save face in regard to Iran since Democrats swept races across the country in last week's midterm elections.

During remarks delivered in the White House briefing room, Trump told the press that "Iran militarily is effectively over" and claimed that renewed U.S. attacks on Iran were "highly unlikely."

While Trump is now sending a message that he supports de-escalation in Iran, he has made many contradictory remarks on the future of the war before and doubled down despite criticism from members of Congress and the American public alike.

Trump has previously stated that Hegseth was "the first one to speak up" about attacking Iran, remarks that in hindsight will not at all help Hegseth's impeachment defense.