Impeachment Timing: Hegseth Speaks as Massie Prepares New Articles

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth addressed students and faculty at the US Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, on Monday. He spoke less than a week after a conflict with Iran ended. That war helped Democrats secure victories that will give them control of the House and Senate in January. The timing of his visit coincided with a move to remove him from office.

Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, a Republican, plans to reintroduce impeachment articles against Hegseth. Massie said he will do so when Congress reconvenes on Monday. He argues that Hegseth broke the law by engaging in hostilities in Iran for more than 90 days without congressional authorization. Massie stated that the secretary must be held accountable for these actions.

Hegseth began his remarks by mentioning a Rhode Island State Police officer who had an accident in front of his convoy earlier that morning. The officer is in stable condition and is going to be fine, Hegseth said. He described the officer as a hero of society who does not seek the spotlight. He noted that officers on motorcycles risk life and limb while racing up and down roads.

Republicans currently hold control of Congress for a six-week lame-duck period. Power shifts to the new Congress on Jan. 3, 2027. House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana tried to prevent a vote on Hegseth's impeachment in September. He halted proceedings by sending lawmakers home early. It is unclear if Johnson can slow the drive for impeachment now, unless he decides to adjourn the chamber again.

President Donald Trump defended Hegseth to reporters on Sunday night. Trump was returning to Washington after spending the weekend at his Florida home. He said Hegseth is guilty of basically winning two wars. Trump claimed the administration saved the Middle East and Israel. He noted that it is hard to impeach someone who achieved that result.

Democrats are expected to support the impeachment resolution widely. A number of Republicans have signaled they could join them. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said on ABC that he is a hard yes on the resolution. Jeffries stated that it is time for Hegseth to go. He accused the secretary of abusing his power and engineering a reckless and costly war of choice in Iran.

Even if the House votes to impeach Hegseth, a conviction requires a two-thirds majority in the Senate. This makes his removal unlikely. The House has only impeached two Cabinet officials in US history. In 1876, Secretary of War William Belknap was impeached amid a corruption scandal. He resigned before the House vote, but the Senate acquitted him.

In 2024, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas was impeached. The charges accused him of failing to enforce immigration laws and breaching public trust. The House narrowly approved the charges, but the Senate dismissed them without a full trial. Rhode Island senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse opposed Hegseth's nomination earlier in the year.

Reed, a West Point graduate, said at the time that Hegseth lacked the requisite character and competence to do the job. He called Hegseth the least qualified nominee for Secretary of Defense in modern history. In October, Reed criticized Hegseth for planning to livestream the military execution of Nidal Malik Hasan. Reed called the plan a barbaric spectacle and a stunt to distract from tenure failings.

Trump canceled the Pentagon's planned public livestream of the execution in December. Reed has also criticized the decision to go to war with Iran. He said 21 American service members died and more than 850 were wounded because of the war. Reed stated that Trump and Hegseth cost the American people nearly $50 billion in military expenses. He added that the war caused untold billions in damage to Americans' financial well-being.