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Republican Lawmaker Seeks Impeachment of Defense Secretary Hegseth
· Confirmed
In Short: Republican congressman Thomas Massie introduced articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, citing eight charges that include waging war against Iran without congressional authorization.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth official portrait (cropped).
SECWAR Attends ASEAN 2026. Staff Sgt. Dennis Buzard / Office of the Secretary of War Public Affairs / DVIDS (261028-A-RQ234-5247) — public domain dvidshub.net
Republican congressman Thomas Massie introduced articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, citing eight charges that include waging war against Iran without congressional authorization. Massie accused Hegseth of high crimes and misdemeanors, arguing that he warrants impeachment and removal from office, as well as disqualification from future government positions.
In a 34-page impeachment resolution, Massie detailed eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth, alleging that he abused the powers of the Department of Defense and engaged in unlawful military operations. Massie's move comes amid frustration from both parties over Hegseth's handling of the ongoing conflict with Iran, which has been ongoing for 256 days without congressional authorization, according to kaaltv.com.
Hegseth dismissed the impeachment effort as a political maneuver, stating that it is based on policy disagreements rather than high crimes or misdemeanors. At a Pentagon press conference, Hegseth argued that every military operation mentioned in the resolution had been approved by former President Donald Trump, emphasizing that the impeachment clause was intended for offenses like treason or bribery, not policy disputes.
During the press conference, Hegseth noted that no Secretary of War or Secretary of Defense has ever been impeached for carrying out lawful military operations in the 250-year history of the American republic, according to Saudigazette and PBS. He also pointed out that the Iran war had been underway for 256 days, and Congress had not authorized it, suggesting that Hegseth was breaking the law, as reported by kaaltv.com.
Massie argued that Hegseth's conduct was incompatible with his duties and the rule of law, and that he would remain a 'threat to the Constitution' if allowed to stay in office. Massie accused Hegseth of abusing his power, undermining national security, and engineering a 'reckless and costly war of choice in Iran,' as reported by Openthemagazine.
The impeachment effort has garnered support from some Democrats, including House leader Hakeem Jeffries, who backed the effort on Sunday. However, Hegseth has received support from former President Trump, who praised Hegseth’s performance at the briefing in a social media post, while Vice President JD Vance called the impeachment effort a 'ridiculous show that stands in for actual policymaking.'
Hegseth's campaign against Massie in the Republican primary in May, where he supported former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein, who defeated Massie, adds another layer to the political tension surrounding the impeachment effort. Some outgoing lawmakers have called for Hegseth's ouster as a proxy effort to show their anger with President Donald Trump, according to Justthenews.
What this adds
The impeachment effort could attract more bipartisan support, as members of both parties are frustrated with Hegseth's handling of the war with Iran and Republicans are reeling from their defeats in the midterm elections.
Hegseth only called on right-wing media outlets when answering questions during the press conference.
Background
Republican congressman Thomas Massie introduced articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, citing the war in Iran and other military actions.
Republican congressman Thomas Massie plans to force a House vote to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, alleging violations of the US Constitution.
What's confirmed
- "One disgruntled congressman wants to shred it over policy disagreements. That's what it is: policy disagreements, not high crimes, not misdemeanors, not treason, not bribery, not the kinds of offenses the founders intended when they wrote the impeachment clause," Hegseth said at a Pentagon press conference Tuesday morning.
- WATCH: Rep. Massie speaks after filing Hegseth impeachment resolution "In the 250 years of our American republic, no Secretary of War or Secretary of Defense has ever been impeached for carrying out lawful military operations," Hegseth told reporters.
- Hegseth dug in for a congressional fight in his first news conference in months on Tuesday, portraying Massie as a rogue lawmaker and arguing that he had committed none of the high crimes required in the Constitution for his removal.
What's still developing
- The impeachment effort could attract more bipartisan support, since members of both parties are frustrated with Hegseth's handling of the war with Iran and Republicans are reeling from their defeats in the midterm elections.
- "A disgruntled, defeated congressman, along with all his Democrat allies, has also dropped sham articles of impeachment against yours truly, just like they tried against President Trump twice," Hegseth said in a video posted on X last week.
- The articles accuse Hegseth of high crimes and misdemeanors in connection with the war in Iran, the Trump administration’s boat strikes in the Caribbean and alleged efforts to suppress free speech during a dispute with Democrats over calls for US troops to refuse illegal orders, Politico reported.
Sources
- CBS Newslink
- Fox Newslink
- PBSlink
- The Atlanticlink
- WTOP Newslink
- kaaltv.comlink
- Saudigazettelink
- Openthemagazinelink
- Newslink
- Justthenewslink
- DWlink
- PBSlink
- WarpBeat — background on Republican Congressman Moves to Impeach Defense Secretary Hegseth link
- WarpBeat — background on House Republicans Move to Impeach Defense Secretary Hegseth link
- public domain / DVIDS — video link