White House calls the April impeachment resolution a “totally unserious act”
Anna KellyWhite House spokesperson
Responding to Rep. Ansari’s impeachment resolution, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly praised Hegseth’s leadership and dismissed the resolution as an unserious bid for attention.
“Secretary Hegseth is doing an outstanding job leading the Pentagon – as evidenced by the unprecedented military success of Operation Epic Fury. This is a totally unserious act by backbencher Democrats who are desperate for headlines, and no media outlet should grant them the attention they obviously crave.”
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Should Pete Hegseth be impeached?
Members of the House have advanced multiple impeachment proposals involving Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Rep. Shri Thanedar introduced H.Res. 935 in December 2025, Rep. Yassamin Ansari introduced H.Res. 1177 in April 2026, and Rep. Thomas Massie announced in September that he would offer a privileged resolution. The proposals allege distinct conduct involving military operations, oversight, and the handling of sensitive information; the proposals themselves do not establish those allegations. Hegseth disputed the characterization that anyone was “texting war plans,” while Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson called the April effort a charade and, after Massie read his articles on September 15, defended Hegseth’s record without addressing the specific allegations. The dispute is whether the House should impeach Hegseth on the basis of the congressional proposals and available evidence.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
TIME attributes a written response to White House spokesperson Anna Kelly, introduced as a reply to Rep. Ansari’s impeachment resolution. The Irish Star carried the same statement. This is reported attribution rather than a White House release.
Before the quotation
Rep. Ansari filed H.Res. 1177 with six articles of impeachment on April 15, 2026. TIME introduces the statement as a response to that resolution.
After the quotation
The Pentagon issued a separate response the same day. Kelly does not address any specific allegation in the resolution.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Relative to whether the House should impeach Hegseth, Kelly both praises his performance and dismisses the resolution itself as unserious. Rejecting the effort as illegitimate rather than engaging its allegations is a defence of the position under scrutiny.
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- Pete Hegseth
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The Dispute Index. "White House calls the April impeachment resolution a “totally unserious act”". First published: 2026-09-16. Last updated: 2026-09-16. https://disputeindex.com/events/663-responding-to-rep-ansari-s-impeachment-resolution-white