Washington DC: US President Donald Trump has warned Republican lawmakers that he would be disappointed if they supported efforts to impeach Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, throwing his weight behind the Pentagon chief as he faces mounting criticism over the US military campaign against Iran.

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Speaking to C-SPAN, Trump defended Hegseth's leadership, arguing that he had overseen two military victories and deserved the backing of Republicans.

“I'd be disappointed in them. Look, Pete has won two wars. I mean, he's been the head person in two wars. He has General Caine and great people,” Trump said when asked whether he would be unhappy if Republicans voted in favour of impeaching Hegseth.

Trump's remarks come amid an impeachment push led by Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who has introduced articles of impeachment against the defence chief on the floor of the House of Representatives, CNN reported.

Under legislative rules, the House is required to take up a vote on the measure by Wednesday.

Why is Pete Hegseth facing impeachment?

Massie has accused Hegseth of misusing the authority of his office through military actions during the conflict with Iran.

Introducing the resolution, the Republican lawmaker alleged that Hegseth had "knowingly executed and implemented unlawful orders to initiate war against a foreign nation".

Massie further argued that the Pentagon chief's conduct posed a threat to the US Constitution and was incompatible with the responsibilities of his office.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries has also backed the impeachment resolution, accusing Hegseth of abusing his authority, undermining national security and engineering what he described as a costly war with Iran.

Who is supporting Hegseth?

Trump is not the only senior administration official to defend the Pentagon chief. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also expressed support for Hegseth, saying he had "done a great job".

Speaking to reporters in Paris on the sidelines of the G7 Foreign Ministers' meeting, Rubio defended Hegseth against criticism from lawmakers and the media.

"I work with him, so I see perhaps a side of him that the media doesn't see and members of Congress may not see," CNN quoted Rubio as saying.

What has Hegseth said about the impeachment effort?

Hegseth has dismissed the impeachment campaign as politically motivated, rejecting the allegations against him.

"It's all about the politics of personal destruction. Didn't work against President Trump, and it won't work with me. You can rest assured of that," he said.

The impeachment effort has brought together criticism from lawmakers across party lines, even as Trump and senior administration officials have publicly defended Hegseth.