Rep. Massie files articles of impeachment against Pete Hegseth
Rep. Thomas Massie introduced eight articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, setting up a mandatory House vote amid a congressional showdown.
Rep. Thomas Massie files 34-page impeachment resolution against Pete Hegseth as White House faces midterm fallout
Wherefore, Secretary of Defense Peter Hegseth, by such conduct, has demonstrated that he will remain a threat to the Constitution if allowed to remain in office, and has acted in a manner grossly incompatible with his duties and the rule of law, Rep. Thomas Massie read from the House floor on Monday, November 9, 2026. Setting off a high-stakes congressional showdown, the Kentucky Republican dropped eight articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as a privileged resolution. The detailed 34-page congressional document outlines accusations that the Pentagon chief abused his authority and violated federal laws governing military operations.
Under House rules, the chamber has two legislative days to take it up, teeing up a vote as early as Wednesday. The swift legislative maneuver arrives in the wake of sweeping midterm election losses that stripped the Republican Party of control of Congress, with many within the party directly blaming the conflict in Iran for their electoral defeat. President Donald Trump acknowledged the political toll in a Sunday interview on 60 Minutes, stating, They didn't like the war, they didn't like the fact that gasoline went up,
while insisting he would make the same decision again because you can't let Iran have a nuclear weapon.
Eight Articles of Impeachment Target Maritime Strikes and Civilian Casualties
Massie brought the impeachment resolution forward on Monday, November 9, as a privileged resolution, fulfilling a promise made before the election. The eight articles charge Hegseth with usurping congressional power to wage war, entering into war with Iran without congressional authorization, ignoring a congressional resolution to remove U.S. forces from hostilities with Iran, and carrying out a war past the 30-day time limit without congressional approval. Further articles accuse the Pentagon chief of waging an unlawful war in Yemen without congressional approval, carrying out unauthorized operations, directing extrajudicial killings, and kidnapping the sovereign head of a foreign government during the raid and extradition of President Nicolás Maduro for regime change and the acquisition of foreign oil.
Among the most serious accusations is Article V, titled "Extrajudicial Killings," which alleges Hegseth oversaw military strikes against vessels suspected of transporting narcotics in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean. The resolution claims at least 69 separate attacks struck 73 vessels, killing at least 243 individuals. Lawmakers behind the proposed articles accuse Hegseth of replacing established maritime law-enforcement procedures with lethal military force against individuals who had not been convicted of crimes, effectively assuming the roles of judge, jury, and executioner.
The resolution describes a September 2, 2025, military operation involving a vessel traveling between Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago. An initial U.S. Navy strike destroyed the vessel, leaving two survivors clinging to wreckage. Approximately 45 minutes later, a second strike allegedly killed both survivors. A separate December 2025 operation near Guatemala left eight shipwrecked survivors dead after rescue assets failed to arrive for approximately 45 hours.
The resolution also takes aim at military tactics and domestic actions. Massie accused Hegseth of dismantling civilian-harm monitoring systems, removing senior military lawyers, and reducing personnel responsible for protecting civilians before a devastating February 28, 2026, strike on an elementary school in Minab, Iran. The resolution alleges the strike killed at least 156 civilians, including 120 schoolchildren, and wounded approximately 95 additional people, alongside weakening civilian harm reduction measures by eliminating funding for an Army database and removing 90% of Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response staff assigned to combatant commands.
In the eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, the articles label more than 200 deaths from ongoing boat strikes as extrajudicial killings, pointing to the summary execution of individuals in international waters without a lawful basis for treating the persons or vessels as military targets. Closer to home, Massie accused Hegseth of attempting to suppress free speech by bringing legal cases against Sen. Mark Kelly for participating in a video where members of Congress urged troops not to follow illegal orders.
Speaker Johnson and the GOP Divide as Trump Mounts a Furious Defense
The confrontation has exposed deep fractures within the Republican caucus. Speaker Mike Johnson had previously shut down the House of Representatives in September because he knew at least 3 Republicans would defect then and vote for Hegseth's impeachment. Opening the chamber on Monday, Johnson attempted to block the renewed effort once more.
Impeaching a Cabinet secretary right now, especially the Department of War in the middle of hostilities abroad would be a terrible, terrible look, a terrible thing for our allies and our enemies to see that. We don’t impeach Cabinet secretaries for political gain or for cheap tricks, and I think that’s what this is and I think everybody knows it.
Mike Johnson, House Speaker, via Union-Bulletin
Other Republicans defended the administration's prerogative, noting the historical precedent of executive branch military actions. Rep. Warren Davidson indicated to NPR that impeachment would be hypocritical given that administrations going back to the Korean War have largely ignored Congress' war powers efforts, calling it a mistake and suggesting lawmakers who want changes are better off trying to leverage the power of the purse to withhold money from the conflict. With Republicans holding a razor-thin 218-214 majority in the House, the math leaves leadership scrambling as the deadline approaches for a mandatory vote.
President Trump mounted a furious defense of his defense chief during an unexpected Monday afternoon appearance in the White House press briefing room alongside UFC boss Dana White. Asked by CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins if he would stand by Hegseth if he ends up being impeached by Congress, Trump replied, Yeah, I’ll stand by him,
claiming he won two wars.
When Collins noted that Massie says he carried out an illegal act, an angry Trump fired back: Massie’s a loser—just like you’re a loser at CNN!
Just like your ratings are a loser. Massey is a loser, stone cold loser!
Late Sunday night, Trump told reporters that Hegseth is guilty of two things, basically winning two wars, and that they saved the Middle East and Israel combined.
Hegseth Digs In Amid Diplomatic Push and Upcoming Press Briefing
Hegseth dismissed the legislative challenge on Monday while speaking to reporters after an address at the Naval War College in Rhode Island, brushing off the push as politically motivated noise and expressing confidence that he has sufficient Republican support to defeat it. He linked the military campaigns directly to presidential and military success, stating that critics taking issue with operations like Epic Fury or Rough Rider or nabbing Nicolás Maduro are taking issue with the troops and what they accomplished, which is historic.
The Pentagon chief also announced plans to hold a rare news conference on Tuesday — his first in over 180 days — on the impeachment threat, having held no briefings on the Iran war, strikes on alleged drug-trafficing boats or other U.S. military actions since May. Instead, he relied on social media videos and a Pentagon media campaign featuring political appointees posting images emblazoned with the words, Stand. Fight. Defend the Republic.
Hegseth maintained that Iran is devastated, stating, Iran is devastated; Iran is in the weakest position it's been in in a very long time. The president has the upper hand on any path that he chooses to take,
despite ongoing Iranian strikes on U.S.-utilized bases causing billions in damage and maritime disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz driving up energy costs. Defending the necessity of the conflict, Hegseth echoed Secretary of State Marco Rubio by stating that it doesn’t have to be necessarily popular, but it can be necessary, pointing to International Atomic Energy Agency data showing Iran holds 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium enriched up to 60% purity, a short, technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90%.
Meanwhile, President Trump met with Qatar's prime minister at the White House on Monday as his administration explores a potential agreement with Tehran. The meeting followed a warning Sunday from Iran's foreign minister, who demanded that Washington accept Tehran's latest proposal to end the fighting or face further military retaliation, threatening to "rain down hell." Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered a less optimistic assessment, telling reporters Sunday, I wouldn't say we're on the verge of a breakthrough,
and describing Iran's demands as outrageous and ridiculous and really not realistic.
Despite diplomatic efforts, limited U.S. military operations continue, with Trump confirming over the weekend that American forces targeted Iranian air defense systems on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, describing the attacks as minor strikes.
Democratic Support and the Path to the Senate
Most House Democrats are expected to support the impeachment resolution. Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries declared over the weekend and reiterated at a Monday press conference that Hegseth abused his power, undermined America's national security, and served as the architect of the reckless and costly failed war of choice in Iran. Democrats are also pushing to restrict funding for military operations in Iran, potentially setting up a confrontation when government funding expires Dec. 11.
If the privileged resolution clears the House by mid-week, it will proceed to the Senate for a potential trial. While Republicans remain in the majority in both chambers until the new Congress convenes in January with Democrats in control, a conviction in the Senate requires a two-thirds majority, making removal from office an uphill battle. When Democrats take control of Congress in January, they are expected to pursue investigations into the war's cost and conduct, adding another challenge for the administration.
Updated 1 time since publication; last update 10 November 2026, 13:35.
