Massie's Eight Articles Force Hegseth Impeachment Vote
By @sharedot · · 6 pages
- Politics
- Congress
- Pete Hegseth
- Impeachment
- Thomas Massie
Rep. Thomas Massie filed updated impeachment articles against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, forcing a House vote within two legislative days.
What happened: a forced vote on eight articles
According to CBS News, Rep. Thomas Massie introduced a 34-page impeachment resolution with eight articles against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday, accusing him of waging war against Iran without congressional authorization, ignoring laws that minimize civilian casualties, ordering Caribbean boat strikes, overseeing the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, and scrutinizing Sen. Mark Kelly over a video urging service members to refuse illegal orders.
Because Massie filed the articles on the House floor, GOP leaders must schedule a vote within two legislative days. Hegseth brushed the effort off, telling reporters "we're not worried about that" and calling the articles "sham" political theater in a video posted on X, per CBS News.
Why it's surprising: sources say the votes may be there
PBS NewsHour reports that sources in House Republican leadership believe the votes are actually there to impeach Hegseth, which would require at least three Republicans to join Democrats for a majority.
Only two Cabinet secretaries have ever been impeached in U.S. history — Secretary of War William Belknap in 1876 and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in 2024 — and neither was convicted, PBS notes.
The timing adds to the shock: Republicans are reeling from midterm defeats in which Democrats gained 42 House seats, and frustration over the Iran war crosses party lines, with GOP Rep. James Comer saying "no one's happy about Iran," according to CBS News.
The evidence: who is backing and blocking the push
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called himself a "hard yes," saying on the floor that Hegseth "has abused his power, undermined America's national security, and he's the architect of the reckless and costly failed war of choice in Iran," PBS NewsHour reports.
Democrats are widely on board, but Republican support is the swing factor.
According to CBS News, Rep. French Hill of Arkansas said he wants to hear the debate before deciding whether it merits impeachment, and retiring Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska said he is "wrestling" with the question, arguing a bad secretary is not necessarily an impeachable one.
Speaker Mike Johnson, however, said impeaching Hegseth amid hostilities abroad "would be a terrible, terrible look," per CBS News.
What comes next: the Senate math problem
Even if the House impeaches, conviction requires a two-thirds Senate vote, which is why PBS NewsHour notes no Cabinet secretary has ever been convicted.
Massie argues the GOP-controlled Senate should act now, warning per CBS News that if it does not, the articles survive into January, when a Democratic Senate majority could hold trials.
He framed his effort as the polite option, saying Democrats will be "very vicious" with hearings when they take charge.
Hegseth planned a news conference on the matter Tuesday morning, according to CBS News, while President Trump defended the secretary's role in a "60 Minutes" interview, telling Ross Douthat "he was a part of it" in the administration's victories, PBS reports.