Massie Files Resolution to Impeach Defense Secretary Hegseth

Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky introduced a resolution Monday to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, reviving eight articles he first filed in September and accusing Hegseth of carrying out unlawful orders tied to the war on Iran and strikes on alleged drug boats, according to Al Jazeera.

Massie, an outgoing lawmaker, read the resolution on the House floor as soon as the chamber opened for its first session after the midterm elections. Democratic Party leaders have pledged to investigate the Trump administration in Congress after winning majorities in both chambers, Al Jazeera reported.

What does Massie's resolution allege?

The articles accuse Hegseth of violating the Constitution by helping carry out military action against Iran without congressional authorization, as required under the War Powers Resolution. Massie's text also says Hegseth "cultivated a warmaking culture" that was dismissive of rules of engagement and led to civilian harm, according to Al Jazeera. The outlet's report cites accusations of civilian harm and extrajudicial killings tied to strikes carried out under Hegseth's direction, though the full text of each article was not detailed beyond those claims in the available reporting.

Why is this surfacing now, two months after Massie's first attempt?

Massie first raised the eight articles of impeachment in September. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson avoided a floor vote at the time by sending lawmakers home early, according to Al Jazeera. With the House now reconvening after the midterms, Massie reintroduced the measure on the first day the chamber was back in session. He urged Hegseth to resign before Democrats take control of Congress in January, predicting that Democratic-led investigations will draw testimony from senior administration officials on how the Defense Department has been run.

"I understand that some of them just want to vote for this because they just want to see Hegseth gone," Massie told reporters at a Monday news conference. "I welcome their vote."

How has Hegseth responded to the impeachment push?

Hegseth was defiant in comments to reporters Monday, framing the resolution as politically motivated rather than substantive. "There's a lot of politically motivated people who may have substantial policy disagreements, but their disagreements are with success," he said, according to Al Jazeera. He added that if lawmakers want to "litigate" the military actions the Trump administration has taken, "I'm happy to do it all day long." Hegseth is expected to hold his own news conference Tuesday, Al Jazeera reported.

What role are Democratic leaders playing?

Al Jazeera's related coverage notes that House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries has backed the push to impeach Hegseth and that Democrats have vowed broader probes of Trump administration allies once they take control of Congress in January. Massie, a Republican, is not aligned with Democrats on most policy matters, but his resolution gives Democratic leaders a vehicle they did not have to write themselves while Republicans still control the current chamber.

What happens next in the House?

Because Republicans still hold the majority in the current Congress, Speaker Johnson retains the procedural tools he used in September to delay or avoid a vote. Massie's decision to force the issue again on the first day back, however, puts pressure on Johnson to either schedule a vote before the new Congress is seated or face the measure resurfacing under Democratic control in January, when Democrats have already pledged investigations into the Pentagon's operations under Hegseth.

What to watch

• Hegseth's Tuesday news conference and whether he addresses the specific allegations in Massie's eight articles.
• Whether Speaker Johnson schedules a floor vote on the impeachment resolution before the new Congress convenes.
• Whether Hegseth resigns before Democrats take control of both chambers in January, as Massie has urged.
• The scope of Democratic-led Pentagon investigations once the new Congress is seated, including any testimony from senior Defense Department officials.

The resolution's path forward remains uncertain. A Republican-controlled House has already shown it can sideline the measure procedurally, and Massie is leaving Congress, raising questions about who will champion the articles if they stall again before the chamber's composition changes in January.