Republican congressman to force impeachment vote on Defense Secretary Hegseth

A Republican congressman is planning to force a vote in the House of Representatives this week to impeach Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, claiming he has violated the US Constitution. Representative Thomas Massie stated, "By engaging in hostilities in Iran for more than 90 days without congressional authorisation, Secretary Hegseth is breaking the law and must be held accountable."

The effort is expected to fail, as Republicans maintain control in Congress until January. However, Massie explained the move is intended to pressure President Donald Trump to replace Hegseth before Democrats can initiate their own impeachment process. Hegseth has dismissed the effort as a "sham" and defended his performance.

"You see, they attack me. They attack us because we are effective," Hegseth said in a video statement last week. "It's not going to work. We will not back down." He described Massie as a "disgruntled, defeated congressman" and noted he was not concerned about the attempt, while highlighting his success in implementing President Trump's America First agenda.

On Monday afternoon, Massie formally presented his articles of impeachment as a resolution on the House floor. This action triggers a 48-hour window for the chamber to address the measure. Lawmakers could choose to vote on the resolution, refer it to a committee, or set it aside. "I'm doing this because it's the right thing to do," Massie told reporters after the introduction.

Massie, who lost his re-election bid earlier this year, has been a vocal critic of President Trump and the war in Iran since it began nearly nine months ago. He previously gained attention for demanding the Trump administration release files regarding deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Having first introduced articles of impeachment in September, he has renewed the effort following the loss of Republican control in both the House and Senate in last week's midterm elections.

He suggested the move is designed to avoid a partisan spectacle when Democrats take control of Congress next year. Massie expressed hope that he could force President Trump to appoint a successor who could be confirmed while Republicans still hold power. "My effort to impeach Secretary Hegseth is a much gentler version of what's coming when the Democrats assume control of the House and Senate next year," Massie stated. "They will hold hearings and trials."

Democratic leadership has indicated they are open to pursuing such an effort against Hegseth once they assume control in January. When asked about the situation on Monday, Hegseth replied, "We're not worried about that." He added that he intends to hold a news conference on Tuesday to discuss the matter further.

President Trump has stated he plans to support Hegseth, praising his leadership during the US capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro earlier this year and defending his actions during the war in Iran. "We've made the world a lot safer place. Why haven't we gone after all these other people that ran wars and lost?" President Trump said at the White House on Monday. He also highlighted recruitment figures under Hegseth, adding, "The soldiers, the actual soldiers, the great people that do the work, the great patriots, they love Pete Hegseth. He's done a very good job."

Impeaching a cabinet secretary is an infrequent event. For a secretary to be removed from office, approval from both chambers is required. President Trump faced impeachment by the House twice during his first term but was acquitted by the Senate after two trials. The House has only voted to impeach two cabinet members in US history, neither of whom were convicted by the Senate.

Paul Gowder, a law professor at Northwestern University in Chicago, noted that while impeachment has been "an incredibly rare process," it has become more normalised since the House impeached President Bill Clinton in 1998. He suggested it has become "much more common as the country has become more politically polarised," and predicted that several more of President Trump's cabinet members could face impeachment over the next two years.

Massie admitted to reporters that he was uncertain if the measure had enough support to pass. A majority is required in the House, and even with full Democratic backing, it would likely need Republican support given their slim majority. Peter Loge, a professor of public affairs at George Washington University, told the BBC that he believed it was likely to pass due to those narrow margins. "There are enough angry Republicans that more than enough Republicans are gonna simply not show up to vote," he said.

Currently, the House consists of 218 Republicans and 214 Democrats. While a simple majority is needed for the House to pass articles of impeachment, the Senate requires a two-thirds vote to convict.