The hardline conservative from Ohio beat fellow congressman Steve Scalise by a vote of 106-73

• Republicans elect Jim Jordan as House minority leader after party’s midterm defeats

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During his press conference, Hegseth was resolute that the articles of impeachment are baseless, and that all attacks were carried out legally.

“As for the articles themselves, Iran, the cartels, Maduro, Yemen, everyone 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,” he said. “We destroyed terror regimes’ capabilities. We sank the boats carrying poison into 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.”