Analysis: Hegseth fights for his political life with appeal to Trump

There was plenty of defiance and rhetorical venom from Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon on Tuesday, as the under-pressure US defence secretary gave his first news conference in six months.

Much of his ire was directed at the Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, who has brought articles of impeachment against him. Hegseth dismissed him as "one disgruntled and defeated congressman" who was leading a "farce and a stunt".

But this was, in many ways, a news conference with an audience of one - President Donald Trump.

Again and again, Hegseth tied his fate to that of the president.

The military operations in Iran and Venezuela that are now at the centre of impeachment proceedings, he said, were "ordered by the commander-in-chief, then ordered by myself".