Massie reintroduces impeachment of Hegseth

Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky filed new articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday, forcing a House vote within the next two days.

The resolution cites eight distinct charges. Three count illegally waging war against Iran in breach of the War Powers Resolution. One charge targets the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro without congressional approval. Another alleges Hegseth illegally waged war against Yemen, also violating war powers laws.

The document includes one charge for ignoring statutes meant to limit civilian casualties. It lists one charge for overseeing strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean that the resolution calls extrajudicial killings. Massie also added a charge for suppressing free speech, linking it to efforts to penalize Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona for a video urging service members to refuse illegal orders.

Hegseth responded in a video released last Thursday, labeling the effort a sham. "Didn't work against President Trump and it won't work with me," he said. Massie, who lost his GOP primary to Ed Gallrein after Hegseth campaigned for Gallrein, pushed back on the defense secretary's remark calling him a "disgruntled defeated congressman." "Well, he's right about one thing. I'm a defeated congressman. I'm not disgruntled," Massie told reporters Monday.

Massie framed the push as a test of the balance of power between the executive branch and Congress. "What's at heart here is the balance of power between the executive branch and Congress," he said. He noted that the war powers resolution has often been ignored by presidents of both parties. He said the impeachment process serves as a way to litigate whether Congress holds real war powers.

Massie first introduced the resolution before the midterm elections. Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana called an early recess to prevent a floor vote, causing the original text to expire. Massie reintroduced the measure Monday to restart the process. Presumptive next Speaker Hakeem Jeffries of New York has signaled support for the push. Even some Republicans who oppose the impeachment have argued the administration needs to communicate its Iran war strategy more clearly to Congress and the public.

Rep. Warren Davidson of Ohio, a Republican who opposes the move, called the effort a mistake. "I think trying to scapegoat Pete Hegseth is just the status quo politics in Washington," Davidson said. He suggested lawmakers use the power of the purse instead. Davidson noted that administrations since the Korean War have largely ignored congressional war powers efforts, making impeachment seem hypocritical.

A House vote could succeed if all Democrats, Massie, and a small group of Republicans support it. A Senate conviction and removal from office would require a two-thirds majority, a higher threshold that makes success less likely.