Republican Lawmaker Moves to Impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as War Powers Fury Grows
Select a version of the text written from a presumed ideological perspective. This is not the original text, but a hypothetical version — how someone with that viewpoint might have phrased it. Tapping the current version again will return to the original or select cleaned version.
Rep. Thomas Massie has forced impeachment articles against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, accusing him of abusing power during the Iran conflict and unlawfully pushing the country toward war, while House leaders and President Donald Trump rush to shield him and traders bet the fight will explode into a vote by Wednesday.
Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky filed eight articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on the House floor, accusing the secretary of abusing his authority during the Iran conflict and issuing unlawful orders aimed at starting war. The filing now sets up a rapid House vote that could come as early as Wednesday.
Secretary of State Marcio Rubio, speaking at a G7 foreign ministers meeting in Paris, rushed to defend Hegseth, saying he has seen the secretary’s work firsthand and calling his performance "great" and professional. Rubio added that he works with Hegseth daily and claimed the media does not fully capture his contributions.
House Speaker Mike Johnson warned that impeaching a cabinet secretary amid ongoing hostilities would present a "terrible look," framing the effort as politics rather than accountability and trying to downplay the substance of the allegations.
President Donald Trump publicly backed Hegseth, pledging his full support for the defense secretary.
Prediction markets tracked the impeachment effort, with Kalshi traders estimating a 71% chance of impeachment by the end of the next week and total trading volume topping $7.5 million.
Other political developments mentioned include the projected defeat of Rep. Lauren Boebert in Colorado’s 4th District, Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s call for the GOP to internalize the midterm loss, and ongoing discussions among incoming Democratic members about supporting Hakeem Jeffries for speaker.