Massie Files Articles to Impeach Hegseth

Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky moved Monday to force a House vote on removing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. He introduced the resolution on the first day of the new congressional session. The move asks lawmakers to strip one of President Donald Trump’s top cabinet members of his post.

The resolution centers on the recent war in Iran. It also references military actions taken in Yemen and Venezuela. Massie, a Republican who lost his primary earlier this year to a Trump-backed challenger, argues Hegset’s conduct amounts to high crimes and misdemeanors. He stated that Hegseth knowingly executed unlawful orders and remains a threat to the Constitution.

A vote could occur by mid-week. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries supports the measure. If Democrats vote in unison, Massie needs only a small number of Republican votes to pass the resolution. Republicans currently hold majorities in both chambers. They will retain that control until the new Congress convenes in January, when Democrats are expected to take the majority.

Republican leaders expressed frustration with the timing. House Speaker Mike Johnson tried to prevent the vote. He said impeachment in the middle of hostilities abroad would look terrible to allies and enemies. Senate Majority Leader John Thune questioned why the vote is happening now. He said the Senate will deal with the outcome accordingly.

Hegseth has stepped up his public defense. He spoke to reporters after a speech at the Naval War College in Rhode Island. He described the push as politically motivated. He said he is happy to litigate the military actions if necessary. Hegseth agreed with Trump that he would do the war again. He argued someone had to confront the Iranian regime’s pursuit of a nuclear weapon.

Hegseth announced he will hold a news conference on Tuesday. It will be his first in over 180 days. He plans to address the impeachment threat directly. He reiterated that Iran is devastated, despite ongoing strikes on U.S. military bases and commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Those disruptions have raised energy prices for voters.

Trump defended Hegseth on Sunday night. He said Hegseth is guilty of winning two wars. He called it hard to impeach someone who saved the Middle East and Israel. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also supported Hegseth. Speaking in Paris, Rubio said Hegseth is incredibly smart and works really hard. He called it unfair that a Republican is pushing the impeachment effort.

Public opinion remains divided on the war. An AP Voter Poll of more than 100,000 people found that about 6 in 10 voters said the U.S. made the wrong decision in taking military action against Iran. Iran maintains its nuclear program is peaceful. The International Atomic Energy Agency reports Iran holds 440.9 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60% purity.