Republican Lawmaker Files Impeachment Articles Against Defense Secretary Hegseth

Republican Representative Thomas Massie introduced eight articles of impeachment against U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, alleging that he carried out unauthorized military operations against Iran, Venezuela and Yemen and failed to protect civilians. The resolution, filed on Monday, starts a two-day countdown that could lead to a House vote by mid-week.

Massie’s articles claim Hegseth violated the 1973 War Powers Resolution by initiating hostilities without congressional approval, continuing combat after a 60-day limit, and targeting civilian infrastructure, including a strike on a school in Minab that killed 156 people. The accusations also cover the 2025 abduction of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, as well as a series of boat strikes in the Caribbean that Massie says resulted in at least 243 civilian deaths. A separate article alleges Hegseth threatened Democratic Senator Mark Kelly and other lawmakers for speaking out against the operations.

"Hegseth should not carry out illegal orders, and that’s why we’re impeaching him," Massie said at a media briefing.

Hegseth responded at a press conference, calling the impeachment effort a "farce" and a "stunt," and argued that the actions in question were lawful military operations. He warned that punishing him could lead to prosecutions of service members for performing their duties. President Donald Trump said he would continue to support Hegseth and criticized Massie.

If the House votes to impeach, the Senate would then hold a trial, requiring a two-thirds majority to convict and remove the secretary. Republicans currently hold a majority in the House but will lose control on Jan. 3, while the Senate remains closely divided, making conviction unlikely without bipartisan support. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer indicated that Hegseth would face a trial if impeached.