Attorney General says Hegseth follows the law as impeachment vote looms
Attorney General of the United States, at a White House press briefing
“Secretary Hegseth is doing a phenomenal job, and the secretary of war doesn’t just go off and do things. So, 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.”
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
CNN reports Massie reading his resolution aloud on the House floor for multiple hours and carries Attorney General Todd Blanche’s response at a White House Rose Garden briefing. The New York Times Post, CBS News and NBC News reported the same Blanche remarks independently.
Before the quotation
CNN reports that Blanche was defending Hegseth in light of the impeachment push after Massie spent hours reading the resolution on the House floor.
After the quotation
Blanche also disputed describing the Iran conflict as a war. The briefing did not address individual articles of the resolution.
How this statement is classified
Case context: Should Pete Hegseth be impeached?
The label describes this statement’s response within the context above.
Why this label?
Relative to whether the House should impeach Hegseth, Blanche responds to the impeachment push by praising Hegseth and asserting legal compliance, which argues that there is no violation warranting removal. His claim about the Justice Department’s role is his own assertion, not an established finding.
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- Pete Hegseth
Should Pete Hegseth be impeached?
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Read the full caseFree Speech For People
“In supporting Trump’s constitutional violations and actively participating in, or even initiating, the actions noted above, Hegseth has failed to faithfully discharge the duties of his office. Further, Hegseth participated in multiple unauthorized, unsecured communications on Signal with individuals who are not government employees, jeopardizing national security and demonstrating a dangerous lack of judgment. He must be held accountable for his actions.”Read statement
MoveOn
“Hegseth has shown he cannot be trusted with the power of this office and this position. Impeachment and aggressive oversight are necessary steps to stop further abuses.”Read statement
Win Without War
“Hegseth is making people less safe — and it’s time for him to go.”Read statement