Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who goes by Secretary of War under the Pentagon's rebrand, posted a video on Thursday of himself speaking straight to the camera outside a building marked "Department of War." The message ran nearly six minutes and was built around one line: "We Stand. We Fight. We Defend the Republic." Hegseth gestured emphatically as he spoke, said he and the department do not back down, claimed "patriots" are now in control of the Pentagon, and urged Congress to pass more funding for the department. The "Department of War" label is a secondary name Trump gave the Department of Defense, not a name Congress has officially adopted.

The timing is what makes the video a headline, because it landed days after Republicans suffered heavy midterm losses. Rep. Thomas Massie plans to force a House vote on impeaching Hegseth next week, citing his role in the Iran war, and GOP sources told CNN they expect it to pass. CBS and NBC reported that Trump has been asking advisers whether Hegseth should stay, yet Trump publicly said he has "every intention" of keeping him and called his work very good. Hegseth's spokesperson has said he will not be deterred by "phony investigations," while Democrats, who take over Congress in January, have said they plan to investigate him. Even if the House votes to impeach, a conviction in the Senate looks unlikely, so the bigger question is whether Trump decides to move on before the new Congress arrives.