Republican lawmaker launches impeachment drive against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after alleged illegal war actions
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Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie filed eight articles of impeachment accusing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth of unauthorized war actions, while President Donald Trump publicly rushed to defend the secretary.
Washington – Republican Representative Thomas Massie introduced eight articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, accusing him of illegal war actions in Iran, Yemen and Venezuela and of violating the 1973 War Powers Resolution. The resolution could reach the House floor as early as Nov 11, with some members of the president’s party reportedly weighing support for holding Hegseth accountable.
President Donald Trump defended Hegseth at a White House briefing, saying, "Yeah, I’ll stand by him... He won two wars. He was in charge," and earlier praised the secretary as having done a "good job" and "won" wars in Venezuela and Iran.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking in Paris, described Hegseth as "hardworking" and "incredibly smart," adding that the secretary helped build counter-cartel partnerships in the Americas, weakened Iran’s military and oversaw the operation that captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
Democratic House leader Hakeem Jeffries said, "I’m a hard yes on the Hegseth resolution. 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. Pete Hegseth has got to go."
The Pentagon rejected the accusations. Hegseth dismissed the impeachment effort as a "sham" and accused Massie of political motives. A rare Pentagon press briefing by Hegseth is scheduled for Nov 10.
Under the Constitution, the House can impeach a senior official by a simple majority, but removal requires a two-thirds Senate vote. Even with a Democratic majority in the Senate after Jan 3, conviction would need substantial bipartisan support. Only two Cabinet secretaries have been impeached in U.S. history, and neither was removed.