Massie pushes to impeach Hegseth

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faces a formal vote in the House on whether to remove him from office. Rep. Thomas Massie introduced the impeachment resolution on Monday, the first day of the new House session following the midterm elections. The move forces a procedural vote that could determine the secretary's fate before the new Congress convenes in January.

The resolution cites Hegseth's management of the war in Iran as the primary basis for the impeachment. It also references military operations in Yemen and Venezuela. Massie argued that the secretary's actions constitute high crimes and misdemeanors. He stated that Hegseth's leadership at the Pentagon warrants impeachment.

House Speaker Mike Johnson attempted to block the resolution before it reached the floor. He warned lawmakers against removing a Cabinet member while the United States remains engaged in active hostilities in the Middle East. Johnson told the chamber that impeaching the Department of War during a conflict presents a poor image to allies and enemies. He characterized the effort as a political maneuver rather than a substantive policy decision.

A vote on the resolution is expected by mid-week. Most House Democrats are preparing to support the impeachment. Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said over the weekend that the time has come for the Defense secretary to leave his post. The outcome of the House vote will determine if the matter proceeds to the Senate for a trial.

Hegseth responded to the threat by defending his record on military operations. He referred to the Iran campaign as Epic Fury and the Yemen strikes as Rough Rider. He told reporters that questioning these actions is effectively questioning the troops and their accomplishments. He expressed readiness to litigate the decisions made by the Trump administration.

The secretary announced that he will hold a news conference on Tuesday. This will be his first public briefing in over 180 days. His last appearance was in May, and he has not addressed the Iran war or strikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats since then. The announcement comes as he seeks to control the narrative surrounding the impeachment push.

Hegseth dismissed the impeachment effort as noise driven by political motivation. He told reporters that his team is not worried by the criticism. He compared the situation to his advice for troops to ignore distractions. When asked about Vice President JD Vance blaming the war for Republican losses, Hegseth agreed with President Donald Trump that the administration would do it again.

The president defended Hegseth on Sunday night. Trump stated that the secretary is guilty of winning two wars. He argued that it is difficult to impeach someone who saved the Middle East and Israel. Hegseth maintained that confronting the Iranian regime's pursuit of a nuclear weapon was necessary. He noted that Iran currently holds 440.9 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity.

About 6 in 10 voters said the United States made the wrong decision in taking military action against Iran, according to a recent poll. Hegseth described Iran as devastated despite ongoing strikes on U.S. military bases and commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. He said the next steps in the war are up to the president, including monitoring Iran's nuclear material.

Hegseth has been active on social media in recent days. He posted a video acknowledging the threat of impeachment and called it a politics of personal destruction. Several Pentagon political appointees shared images of Hegseth with the message to stand and fight. The White House also shared a video featuring praise from the president.