House Moves to Impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth

Republican Representative Thomas Massie formally introduced eight articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on November 9, 2026. The resolution alleges that Hegseth violated the War Powers Resolution of 1973 by waging an unauthorized war in Iran, conducting unlawful airstrikes in Yemen, and overseeing the illegal capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Massie, who is retiring at the end of the year, aims to pressure the administration to replace Hegseth before Democrats assume formal control of Congress in January.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has declared he is a "hard yes" on the resolution, characterizing the Iran conflict as a "reckless and costly war of choice" that increased fuel prices for Americans. The push follows a landslide Democratic victory in the November 3 midterm elections, which Vice President JD Vance and other Republicans partly attributed to the unpopularity of the war in Iran.

President Donald Trump has consistently defended Hegseth, calling the impeachment efforts "extortion at the highest level" and claiming the secretary successfully destroyed Iran's nuclear capability. Attorney General Todd Blanche pledged that the Justice Department would defend administration officials against these probes. While the House may impeach by a simple majority, removal from office would require a two-thirds supermajority in the Senate, a threshold considered unlikely to be met. Hegseth has dismissed the proceedings as "political theatre" and "sham articles of impeachment," vowing to remain in office for the duration of the term.