参议员泰德·克鲁兹（共和党-得克萨斯州）本周早些时候在其播客节目中预测，国防部长皮特·赫格塞斯将在特朗普总统第二任期的后半段要么辞职，要么被解职，要么遭弹劾。© 梅格·金纳德，美联社“将会发生两种情况之一：要么赫格塞斯下台，要么他自愿辞职，要么特朗普解雇他。要么，如果那不发生，我认为极有可能，甚至可以说是肯定，众议院将弹劾他，”克鲁兹在周一播出的其播客节目《判决》中说。“因为，表面上看，票数是够的。现在，弹劾只需要多数票。”
Cruz says Hegseth will resign, be fired or get impeachedSen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) predicted on his podcast earlier this week that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will either resign, be fired or be impeached in the latter half of President Trump's second term. © Meg Kinnard, Associated Press "And one of two things is going to happen: either Hegseth is going to step down, either he will resign voluntarily or Trump will fire him. Or, if that does not happen, I think it is extremely likely, if not certain, that the House will impeach him," Cruz said on a Monday episode of his podcast, "The Verdict." "Because, on the face of it, the votes are there. Now, it only takes a majority to impeach."
克鲁兹的言论发表在众议院共和党人搁置托马斯·马西众议员（共和党-肯塔基州）针对五角大楼负责人提出的八项弹劾条款的前一天。众议院以211票对204票投票决定，将马西周一重新提出的决议提交委员会——这一举措实质上终结了在第十九届国会弹劾赫格塞斯的推动。特朗普周二晚间庆祝投票结果。
Cruz's comments came a day before House Republicans shelved Rep. Thomas Massie's (R-Ky.) eight articles of impeachment against the Pentagon chief. The House voted 211-204 to refer the resolution, which Massie reintroduced on Monday, to committee — a move that essentially ends the push to impeach Hegseth in the 119th Congress. Trump celebrated the vote outcome Tuesday evening.
“再次，在委内瑞拉和伊朗取得胜利，军队招募人数创下历史新高（漫长的等待名单！），以及罕见的士气，导致了一位伟大的美国爱国者获得‘平反’，”总统在Truth Social上的一篇帖子中写道。“民主党人继续将美利坚合众国武器化并加以滥用。他们必须被阻止！”
"Again, Victories in Venezuela and Iran, the Best Recruitment Numbers in the History of the Military (Long waiting lists to get in!) and Spirit like rarely seen before, led to the EXONERATION of a Great American Patriot," the president wrote in a post on Truth Social. "The Democrats continue to weaponize and abuse the United States of America. They must be stopped!"
克鲁兹周一表示，如果民主党人在明年一月夺得国会两院的多数席位，他不会惊讶于他们试图弹劾赫格塞斯。
Cruz said Monday he would not be surprised if Democrats try to impeach Hegseth once they take the majorities in both chambers of Congress come January.
“如果舒默有选择进行审判的选项，我预计他会进行一场漫长的审判——他会花费真正的时间，数周，甚至数月，利用审判来起诉，第一，他们对伊朗战争的反对。”
"And I expect, if Schumer has the option of conducting a trial, I would anticipate that he would conduct an extended trial — that he would spend real time, weeks, if not months, using the trial to prosecute, number one, their opposition to the Iran War."
五角大楼在周二晚间众议院投票后宣称胜利，称结果为“彻底胜利”，并嘲讽马西的攻击是“毫无价值、证据或严肃性可言的政治表演”。“在赫格塞斯部长恢复战士精神、交出成果并将任务置于首位的记录面前，它不攻自破。美国人民看穿了这一切，”五角大楼首席发言人肖恩·帕内尔在一份声明中说。“我们不会纵容由一名心怀不满、即将卸任的前众议员以及其他选择作秀而非治理的人所推动的政治闹剧，”帕内尔说。
The Pentagon took a victory lap following the House vote Tuesday evening, calling the outcome a "total victory" and deriding Massie's salvo as a "political exercise devoid of merit, evidence, or seriousness." "It collapses under the weight of Secretary Hegseth’s record of restoring the warrior ethos, delivering results and putting the mission first. The American people see through it," Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement. "We will not indulge the political theater driven by a disgruntled soon-to-be former congressman and others who have chosen grandstanding over governing," Parnell said.
“我们期待在委员会会议室终结这场虚假的弹劾，在那里事实将继续占据上风，这场干扰也将得以平息。”
"We look forward to ending this sham impeachment in the committee room, where facts will continue to prevail and this distraction can be put to rest."