Rep. Thomas Massie has filed articles of impeachment against US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, setting up a potentially contentious House vote as early as this week amid growing bipartisan calls for accountability over the Pentagon chief’s conduct.
The Kentucky Republican’s impeachment resolution accuses Hegseth of committing “high crimes and misdemeanors,” including allegedly launching an illegal war against Iran and authorizing military strikes against boats in the Caribbean that reportedly killed hundreds of civilians suspected of involvement in drug trafficking.
Massie initially introduced the impeachment articles in September, but the effort was stalled after House Speaker Mike Johnson adjourned the chamber before lawmakers could vote. The renewed filing now puts the issue back before Congress, potentially forcing Republicans to take a politically difficult position on the future of a senior member of President Donald Trump’s administration.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has endorsed the impeachment effort, indicating that Democrats are likely to support it overwhelmingly. Jeffries, who is expected to become House speaker next year, has made the resolution a significant political challenge for Republican leadership.
The proposal has also attracted attention among Republicans, some of whom have expressed reservations about Hegseth’s leadership and decisions at the Pentagon.
Rep. James Comer of Kentucky said there were “a lot of questions about Hegseth,” while Rep. French Hill of Arkansas said he was reviewing the impeachment resolution. Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, another Republican considering his position, indicated that his concerns about the defense secretary went beyond the allegations outlined in Massie’s proposal.
Bacon particularly criticized Hegseth’s extensive personnel changes at the Pentagon, including the removal and sidelining of dozens of senior military officers.
“That man fired and red-lined 80 flag officers for no reason; that bothers me,” Bacon told reporters. “And I feel like he deserves a little bit of his own treatment, but that’s not the right way to handle impeachment.”
Hegseth has rejected the impeachment effort, describing it as politically motivated. In a video statement last week, he called the initiative a “sham” promoted by “a disgruntled defeated congressman along with all his Democrat allies.”
Trump has also stood firmly behind his defense secretary. Speaking to reporters last week, the president said Hegseth was doing “a very good job,” signaling no immediate intention to remove him from office.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio also criticized the impeachment initiative. Speaking to reporters during meetings with foreign leaders in Paris on Monday, Rubio described the effort as “unfair.”
Massie, who lost a Republican primary contest in May, has emerged as one of Hegseth’s most vocal congressional critics. He has also accused Johnson of manipulating the House schedule to avoid an uncomfortable impeachment vote ahead of the midterm elections. Johnson has denied the allegation.
The impeachment documents argue that Hegseth’s actions pose a continuing threat to civilians, the lawful conduct of American military operations, the credibility of the armed forces and the US Constitution.
The resolution states that Hegseth has demonstrated conduct “grossly incompatible with his duties and the rule of law,” arguing that allowing him to remain in office would undermine the integrity of the Defense Department.
Despite growing criticism, the impeachment effort faces significant obstacles. Republicans retain the ability to block the resolution if they remain largely united against it. However, attendance could complicate the vote, particularly if Republican lawmakers who lost their seats in the recent elections do not participate in the post-election congressional session.
Another complication is the structure of Massie’s impeachment resolution. The articles are expected to be considered individually, potentially requiring the House to conduct eight separate roll-call votes.
The proceedings could place Congress in unprecedented political territory. No successful impeachment of an executive branch official has been driven predominantly by the House minority party.
If the House approves the articles, Johnson would have to decide whether to appoint impeachment managers responsible for prosecuting the case in the Senate. The decision would create an immediate political dilemma for the Republican speaker.
Johnson could transmit the articles to the Senate, where lawmakers would determine whether to proceed with a trial. Alternatively, he could delay sending them until the current Congress expires in January, leaving the matter to the incoming Democratic-led House.
Even if the articles reach the Senate, conviction would remain uncertain. The chamber could reject the charges, but Republican divisions over Hegseth could make the proceedings politically unpredictable.
Johnson could also pursue a slower process that pushes the impeachment dispute into the next Congress, when Democrats are expected to assume control of the House.
The vote therefore represents more than a direct challenge to Hegseth. It could test Republican unity, expose divisions within Trump’s national security leadership and determine how far congressional oversight can go in challenging the administration’s military decisions.
