Republican congressman Thomas Massie has forced a vote in the US House of Representatives on impeaching Pete Hegseth, accusing the Secretary of War of high crimes and misdemeanours.
The Kentucky representative introduced a 34-page resolution containing eight articles of impeachment on the House floor on November 9. As a privileged resolution, it obliges the House leadership to hold a vote within two legislative days, meaning by November 11.
Three of the articles allege that Hegseth broke the 1973 War Powers Resolution by starting and continuing hostilities with Iran without the approval of Congress. The US and Israel launched strikes on Iran in February.
Another accuses him of ignoring laws designed to minimise civilian casualties, citing a strike on an Iranian school earlier this year. The remaining charges cover strikes on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean, military action in Yemen, the capture of former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and the Pentagon’s pursuit of Democratic Senator Mark Kelly.
Massie said Hegseth had committed impeachable acts “eight times”.
Hegseth dismissed the move, describing Massie as “a disgruntled, defeated congressman”. He told reporters he was not worried about the vote.
Massie lost his primary race earlier this year after Donald Trump endorsed his opponent. He leaves Congress when the current session ends.
The President has stood by his war chief. On November 5, Trump said he had “every intention to keep him” and branded Massie destructive.
The vote comes days after Republicans lost control of both the House and the Senate in the November 3 midterm elections. Trump acknowledged that the Iran war had played a part in the defeat.
Hegseth’s handling of the war has also strained ties with Europe. At a NATO defence ministers’ meeting in Brussels in June, he condemned European allies for denying US forces access to their bases for strikes on Iran.
The outgoing Congress retains a narrow Republican majority, so Massie needs a handful of his own party’s colleagues to side with Democrats. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has said he is a “hard yes”.
Several Republicans told Fox News that absences among defeated members and discontent over Hegseth’s conduct could see it pass. Party leaders could still move to table it or refer it to committee, killing it without a vote on the merits.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, who dismissed the effort as a publicity stunt, delayed an earlier version in September by cancelling the final days of the session.
Even if the House impeaches Hegseth, removing him would require a two-thirds majority in the Senate. He would become the third Cabinet secretary to be impeached, after William Belknap in 1876 and Alejandro Mayorkas in 2024.
