Rep. Thomas Massie files resolution to impeach Defense Secretary Pete He…
Republican Rep. Thomas Massie has forced a privileged House resolution to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over unauthorized military actions.
The political standoff in Washington over the leadership of the United States military reached a critical juncture on Monday, November 9, 2026, when Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky forced a privileged resolution to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The move sets the stage for a dramatic House vote by mid-week on whether to remove one of the Trump administration’s most prominent figures following sweeping election losses. It pits a Republican congressman against a defiant Pentagon chief who maintains that his controversial military actions saved the Middle East.
Massie reintroduced the impeachment resolution immediately as the House opened for the first day of sessions after the midterms. The charges accuse Hegseth of violating the 1973 War Powers Resolution by conducting military operations against Iran without congressional authorization and continuing hostilities beyond statutory limits. Additional articles allege failures to minimize civilian casualties, extrajudicial killings during Caribbean and Eastern Pacific boat strikes, the kidnapping of Venezuela’s then-President Nicolas Maduro, unauthorized military operations in Yemen, and the suppression of free speech through retaliation against Senator Mark Kelly.
The push to oust Hegseth follows sweeping Republican defeats in the midterm elections that several party officials have linked directly to the economic impact of the Iran war. About 6 in 10 voters said the U.S. made the wrong decision in taking military action against Iran, according to The AP Voter Poll survey of more than 100,000 voters. House Speaker Mike Johnson opposed the impeachment effort, warning lawmakers against trying to remove the defense secretary while American forces are engaged in hostilities abroad. 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,
Johnson said as he opened the chamber, via the Associated Press.
Weighing the Charges and Defense
The eight impeachment articles target multiple high-profile military and political maneuvers executed by the Trump administration. Hegseth has dismissed the threat as noise while maintaining he is eager to defend the Pentagon's record. Speaking to reporters after a speech at the Naval War College in Rhode Island on Monday, Hegseth defended the administration's foreign policy record. If you want to take issue with what we did in Epic Fury or Rough Rider or nabbing Nicolás Maduro, you’re taking issue with the troops and what they accomplished, which is historic,
Hegseth said, using the military code names for the Iran war and operations against Houthi rebels in Yemen.
President Donald Trump backed his defense secretary, telling reporters, He’s guilty of two things, basically winning two wars. I believe we saved the Middle East and Israel combined. And it’s awfully hard to say let’s impeach somebody who did that.
Trump also defended the decision to strike Iran to prevent the regime from obtaining a nuclear weapon, stating, You can’t let crazy Islamists have a nuclear bomb.
| Issue / Operation | Impeachment Allegation | Defense / Administration Stance |
|---|---|---|
| War with Iran (Epic Fury) | Violation of the 1973 War Powers Resolution; operating past 90 days without congressional authorization; high civilian casualties. | Necessary action to confront Iran's nuclear pursuit; Iran is devastatedand saved the Middle East and Israel. |
| Yemen (Operation Rough Rider) | Engaging in an unlawful war violating the War Powers Resolution. | Halting Houthi attacks on shipping in the Middle East; defending sea lanes. |
| Venezuela Operation | Executing unlawful orders resulting in the kidnapping of Nicolas Maduro. | Historic accomplishment against previous leaders; part of broader security campaigns. |
| Senator Mark Kelly Retaliation | Suppressing free speech by investigating, censuring, and threatening recall to active duty. | Enforcing military discipline against statements advising service members that they can refuse illegal orders. |
Most House Democrats are expected to support impeaching Hegseth. Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries stated over the weekend that it is time for the defense secretary to go. Representative Joseph Morelle, D-N.Y., told The Epoch Times on Monday, I think the secretary has presided over an illegal war for the last several months without authorization from Congress, without funding from Congress, with no information to the Congress, and his decision to let go so many members of the military leadership with no rationale to me is incredibly disturbing.
Simultaneous Pentagon Overhaul and Immediate Outlook
Even as the impeachment threat loomed on Capitol Hill, Hegseth announced a complete overhaul of 33 directives to reform senior service colleges during his speech at the Naval War College in Newport, R.I. The sweeping changes eliminate lifetime tenure for civilian faculty, replace long theoretical theses with competitive artificial intelligence war-gaming, and establish warfighter chair positions filled by commanders fresh from operational deployments. Hegseth criticized war colleges for avoiding recent strategic failures, specifically citing the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and actions taken by former Joint Chiefs Chairman General Mark Milley during the presidential transition.
The immediate political battle centers on the House floor, where a vote on Massie's resolution could occur by mid-week. If the House votes to impeach Hegseth, the matter would move to the Senate for a potential trial. Hegseth stated he would address the impeachment push directly at a Pentagon press conference on Tuesday morning, marking his first full briefing since May.
