Rep. Thomas Massie reintroduced articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday, accusing him of illegally waging the Iran war without congressional authorization and calling the Pentagon chief a threat to the Constitution.
Massie, a Kentucky Republican, took to the House floor and spoke for more than an hour as he introduced eight articles of impeachment. Because the resolution is privileged, House leadership must act on it within two legislative days, setting up a vote as early as Wednesday.
The articles accuse Hegseth of starting the Iran war unlawfully, with no declaration of war, no specific authorization from Congress and no attack on the United States; of violating the War Powers Resolution of 1973; of failing to minimize civilian casualties; of extrajudicial killings in the military's strikes on boats of suspected drug traffickers; and of suppressing free speech, among other charges. Massie says the boat strikes killed at least 243 people, a figure that has not been independently confirmed.
Massie first filed the articles on September 15, but the House went on recess before voting on them. He said on Monday that the measure is more likely to pass after the midterm elections, in which Democrats swept control of both chambers of Congress, and that President Donald Trump should replace Hegseth now. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has said he is a hard yes on the resolution, and Democrats are expected to back it.
Trump defended Hegseth on Monday, telling Reuters he backs the defense secretary against the impeachment effort. Hegseth has scheduled a press conference for 8 a.m. on Tuesday, his first in 180 days, to respond to Massie. Republicans hold a five-seat House majority, so a handful of Republican votes would be needed for impeachment to pass; removing Hegseth would then require a two-thirds vote in the Senate.
