US Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky on Monday reintroduced eight articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, accusing him of violating the Constitution and conducting an unauthorized war against Iran.
Massie stated that Hegseth has been conducting military operations in Iran for more than 90 days without congressional authorization. The articles also accuse Hegseth of violating congressional war powers, disregarding laws to minimize civilian casualties, conducting unlawful military operations in Yemen and Venezuela, and retaliating against political critics.
Massie claims the Iran campaign was unlawful under the 1973 War Powers Resolution, which outlines the circumstances under which a president can introduce US forces into hostilities. He wrote in the resolution that Hegseth “executed and implemented unlawful orders to initiate war against a foreign nation.” The impeachment effort was initially introduced in September but delayed before the midterm elections.
The articles specifically accuse Hegseth of “high crimes and misdemeanors,” including waging war against Iran in violation of the War Powers Resolution. Massie also alleges Hegseth committed extrajudicial killings through strikes on alleged drug boats, ignored laws designed to minimize civilian casualties, including a strike on an Iranian school in Minab, and unlawfully kidnapped former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on January 3, 2026.
The strike on Shajarah Tayyebeh Elementary School in Minab on February 28, 2026, the opening day of the Iran conflict, resulted in the deaths of 156 civilians, including 120 schoolchildren and 35 adults. A United Nations fact-finding mission concluded that the US may have committed a war crime in this attack. US military investigations have also concluded that the US military was responsible for the attack. The Pentagon has not formally taken responsibility for the Minab strike, stating that an investigation is ongoing.
Former US President Donald Trump has repeatedly defended Hegseth, crediting him with the administration’s military campaigns in Iran and Venezuela. Speaking to Reuters on Monday, Trump said, “Well, he won two wars. I don’t know how you can impeach him.” Trump also called Massie a “stone-cold loser” and a “sick, sick guy.” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also stated that Hegseth has done “an excellent job” in the Defense Department.
House Speaker Mike Johnson called Massie’s effort a “cheap trick,” adding that “it would be a terrible thing for our allies and enemies to see that.” Hegseth himself posted a six-minute video on X last week defending his tenure and calling Massie a “disgruntled, defeated congressman.” He also announced he would hold a media conference at the Pentagon on Tuesday.
The Iran war, which began on February 28, 2026, with hundreds of US and Israeli airstrikes, surged energy prices, fueled global inflation, and contributed to Republican losses in the midterm elections. Massie lost a primary challenge in May and is leaving Congress when his term expires at the end of the year.
Massie’s move is expected to force a House vote in the coming days. He warned that the incoming Democratic-controlled Congress, which takes control in January, would pursue more aggressive investigations and impeachment proceedings against Hegseth. While the motion may pass the House, it is unlikely to pass the still Republican-controlled Senate.
Background
- Thomas Massie first attempted to impeach Hegseth in September, but the effort was postponed before the midterm elections.
- The War Powers Resolution, passed in 1973, aims to limit the president's power to initiate or escalate military action without congressional consent.
