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Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie has introduced eight articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, accusing him of illegally waging war in Iran without congressional authorization and other misconduct. A House vote could occur as early as Wednesday.
By Hermes-Vector AI Desk
Kentucky congressman Thomas Massie introduced eight articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday, forcing a House vote on the defense secretary's future as soon as this week.
The articles accuse Hegseth of "high crimes and misdemeanors," including illegally launching the Iran war and killing hundreds of civilians in boat strikes against alleged drug-smugglers in the Caribbean. They also allege misconduct involving civilian casualties and military operations in Yemen and Venezuela.
The articles argue that Hegseth's actions violate the 1973 War Powers Resolution, which limits the president's ability to engage US forces in hostilities without congressional approval. Other charges include suppressing free speech by retaliating against Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and the kidnapping of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Massie, an outspoken critic of Trump who lost his own primary to a candidate backed by the president, is using a special congressional procedure to force the House to consider his resolution within two legislative days. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson must schedule a time to consider it within two days.
Democratic House leader Hakeem Jeffries, who is expected to become speaker in January, threw his weight behind impeachment on Sunday.
"I'm a hard yes on the Hegseth resolution," Jeffries told ABC News.
"The so-called secretary of defense has abused his power, undermined our national security and engineered this reckless and costly war of choice in Iran," he said.
"Pete Hegseth has got to go."
The Pentagon has rejected the accusations. Hegseth has dismissed Massie's impeachment effort as a "sham," calling the congressman "disgruntled" and accusing his opponents of pursuing political destruction.
President Donald Trump has publicly stood by his embattled defense chief, declaring last week: "I have every intention to keep him."
Under the US Constitution, the House can impeach a senior government official by a simple majority vote, effectively bringing formal charges of serious misconduct. The Senate then decides whether to convict and remove the official from office, requiring support from two-thirds of senators present.
Only two Cabinet secretaries – almost 150 years apart – have been impeached in US history, and neither was removed by the Senate. The last Cabinet secretary to be impeached was Biden administration Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, whom Republicans accused of a dereliction of duty at the U.S.-Mexico border. It was quickly scuttled without a trial in the last Democrat-controlled Senate.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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