Republican Moves to Impeach Hegseth Over Iran War

Republican lawmaker Thomas Massie has introduced eight articles of impeachment against Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth over the war in Iran, accusing him of launching military action without congressional approval.

The United States (US) Congressman from Kentucky introduced the resolution on Monday, setting up a possible vote in the Republican-controlled House as early as Wednesday.

The move comes days after President Donald Trump’s Republican Party suffered a major defeat in the midterm elections, with Democrats winning control of both chambers of Congress.

Some Republican lawmakers have indicated they may join Democrats in supporting the impeachment effort. However, party leaders could still try to block the resolution through a procedural vote.

Massie is using a special congressional procedure that requires the House to consider his resolution within two legislative days. The eight articles accuse Hegseth of violating the 1973 War Powers Resolution, which limits the president’s authority to deploy US forces in conflicts without congressional approval.

They also accuse him of misconduct over civilian casualties and military operations in Yemen and Venezuela. The Pentagon has rejected the allegations.

Democratic House leader Hakeem Jeffries, who is expected to become speaker in January, has backed the impeachment effort.

“I’m a hard yes on the Hegseth resolution,” Jeffries told ABC News on Sunday.

“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,” he said.

“Pete Hegseth has got to go,” he added.

Meanwhile, some Republicans have criticised Hegseth’s leadership but have not committed to supporting his impeachment.

Arkansas Congressman French Hill said on Sunday that he wanted to hear the debate before deciding whether the allegations justified removing Hegseth from office. Massie, a vocal critic of Trump, also lost his Republican primary to a candidate backed by the president.

The impeachment push has gained momentum since the midterm elections on Tuesday, when Democrats won both chambers amid public anger over the Iran war and rising fuel prices.

Although Republicans will retain control of Congress until January 3, when newly elected lawmakers take office, their election defeat has exposed divisions within the party. Some Republican lawmakers who lost their seats could also skip the vote, potentially making it easier for the resolution to pass.

Under the US Constitution, the House can impeach a senior government official with a simple majority. However, impeachment does not automatically remove the official from office.

The Senate must hold a trial and secure a two-thirds majority to convict and remove the official. Even after Democrats take control of the Senate in January, they would need significant Republican support to reach that threshold.

Only two Cabinet secretaries have been impeached in US history, and neither was removed by the Senate. Hegseth has dismissed Massie’s move as a “sham”, describing the congressman as “disgruntled” and accusing his opponents of seeking his political destruction.

The Pentagon has announced a rare press briefing by Hegseth for Tuesday. Trump has also publicly defended his defence secretary. Last week, the president said: “I have every intention to keep him.”

However, the midterm defeat has weakened the administration’s position and left Hegseth facing an impeachment battle that could continue beyond this week’s House vote.