Massie alleges unlawful boat strikes and kidnapping of Maduro
House Speaker Mike Johnson said Monday that it would be a “terrible, terrible look” to impeach Hegseth during hostilities. He added: “we don’t impeach cabinet secretaries for political gain or for cheap tricks, and I think that’s what this is.” Republican leadership could try to avoid a vote on Massie’s resolution in the coming two days. The GOP’s control of the House and Senate would typically insulate a cabinet official from impeachment, but the margin in the House is only four seats. Several House Republicans have been critical of Hegseth, particularly since the midterm loss.
Asked whether he would support Massie’s effort, retiring Rep. Don Bacon (R., Neb.) told reporters: “I’m weighing it,” while adding it would be better if Hegseth resigned.
Some White House aides blame Hegseth for the Iran war and the midterm loss, while Trump has said publicly and told advisers in private that he still backs the Pentagon chief. The Wall Street Journal described Hegseth as a loyal aide and reliable messenger for the administration. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said Hegseth was determined to remain in office until the end of Trump’s term: “The Department of War has followed the law and our Secretary will continue to stand and fight every single day to support and defend the Constitution, lead our troops, and protect America.”
On X Monday, Massie said, “I’ve seen some of my colleagues say @SecWar Hegseth has been effective and they agree with the war, so they’ll vote not to impeach.” He added: “The question is whether he committed impeachable acts, and the answer is yes, eight times.”
Rep. Thomas Massie (R., Ky.), whom The Wall Street Journal described as a longtime Trump administration antagonist and who is set to leave the House in January, introduced articles of impeachment against Hegseth on Monday. In the articles, Massie alleges that Hegseth unlawfully initiated the Iran war and ignored a congressional resolution to remove troops from the conflict. Massie further alleges that Hegseth ordered the unlawful use of lethal military force in a series of deadly military strikes against suspected drug boats. He also alleges that Hegseth directed the capture and kidnapping of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, which Massie called an act of war against a sovereign country.
The Wall Street Journal linked the historic midterm defeat to voter frustration over what it called the unpopular Iran war, saying it helped doom Republicans days before Massie’s effort. If the House impeaches Hegseth, he would become the first Pentagon chief to be impeached in the House in 150 years.
Hegseth has dismissed the looming impeachment effort and vowed to remain at the Pentagon for the rest of the Trump administration. In a video taken on the Pentagon steps last week and released Thursday, he said, “We are more determined than ever, more resolute than ever to finish what we have started.” He added, “We will stand. We will fight, and we will defend this republic from all enemies, foreign and domestic.” The video portrayed him as a warrior for President Trump’s agenda and suggested that his removal would be a rebuke to the White House and the broader MAGA movement.
On Monday, Hegseth said that impeaching him over the Iran war, the boat strikes and the operation to remove Maduro would be “taking issue with the troops and what they accomplished.” After a speech at the Naval War College on Monday, where Hegseth announced new initiatives for the military war colleges, reporters asked him about the looming impeachment. “We’re not worried about that,” he said. “We’re going to do a press conference tomorrow morning at the Pentagon on that very topic.”
Democrats have been calling for Hegseth’s removal. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D., N.Y.) said Sunday he was a “hard yes” on the impeachment measure. Rep. Adam Smith (D., Wash.), the highest-ranking Democrat in the House Armed Services Committee, also said he would vote yes. “The hollowing out of the military, starting an illegal war, the boat strikes in Latin America—frankly, I think it was an impeachable offense to share the details of a sensitive military operation with a reporter on a Signal chat. So there’s plenty to work from,” Smith told The Wall Street Journal last week.
Tim Parlatore, a special adviser to Hegseth, told The Wall Street Journal last week that Hegseth intended to serve the full four years. “He’s not going anywhere,” Parlatore said. Hegseth’s rare press conference is set for Tuesday morning and will be his first time taking questions from the Pentagon briefing room since May 5. Republican leadership could still try to avoid a floor vote before Hegseth takes questions at the Pentagon the next morning.