A REPUBLICAN congressman has taken a massive step toward impeaching Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
Libertarian-leaning GOP Representative Thomas Massie made a surprise move on the House floor on Tuesday, introducing articles of impeachment against Hegseth, primarily over the Iran war.
Massie, who lost his reelection bid to a Trump-backed opponent, accused Hegseth of violating the War Powers Resolution of 1973.
The resolution requires congressional authorization to conduct military operations that last longer than 90 days.
The 55-year-old Republican is known to have broken with the Trump administration on several issues, including the conflict with Iran and the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
He accused Hegseth of high crimes and misdemeanors, claiming he “abused the powers of the Department of Defense” and violated his oath to “support and defend the Constitution.”
“Secretary of Defense Peter Hegseth, by such conduct, has demonstrated that he will remain a threat to the Constitution if allowed to remain in office, and has acted in a manner grossly incompatible with his duties and the rule of law.
“Peter Brian Hegseth thus warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust or profit under the United States.”
“This abuse of office frustrated Congress’ ability to exercise its most solemn constitutional responsibility,” he said.
With Republicans controlling Congress, Massie’s efforts are likely to fail, which would then keep Hegseth in his position.
However, both chambers have passed resolutions earlier in 2026 calling on President Donald Trump to end the Iran war.
The US launched a missile attack on Iran on February 28, killing the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Military actions have continued in the months since, with Trump vowing Iran will never have a nuclear weapon.
The White House has argued the conflict ended after the initial fighting phase, thus resetting the 90-day clock.
Massie’s move will force the House to vote on it this week, which could set up a potentially complicated vote for the Republican party just a few months before midterm elections.
The House is set to leave Washington in the coming days for an extended recess that will end after midterms, meaning they will be forced into a quick decision.
Articles of impeachment are written statements of charges that set up the basis for removing a person from office if they are convicted of treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.
Impeachment serves as an important check on the judicial and executive branches.
If the House agrees to an impeachment resolution, the Senate can conduct a trial to determine if the person – in this case Hegseth – should be removed from office.
Those who presented the case of impeachment in the House can then read the articles on the Senate floor, where senators then take an oath to “do impartial justice,” according to Congress.
After that, the Senate issues a “summons” to the person accused and requests a written answer to be filed.
Senators then get to deliberate after hearing arguments presented by House managers and counsel for the accused, where they then vote “guilty” or “not guilty” on each article of impeachment.
Two-thirds of Senators must support the article in order to convict the person.
Nine Democrats, led by Representative Yassamin Ansari, moved to impeach Hegseth in April, accusing him of prosecuting an unauthorized war in Iran, mishandling classified information and targeting civilians among other charges.
The Pentagon defended Hegseth’s performance in his role, but did not directly address the claims over the legality of the conflict with Iran.
“Secretary Hegseth has been a transformative leader for the Department of War,” said Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson in a statement shared with The U.S. Sun.
“Standards and merit are back, our arsenal is stronger than ever before, and morale and recruitment across every service are at all-time highs.”
“By every measurable metric, the Department of War is better under President Trump and Secretary Hegseth’s leadership than before,” the statement continued.
“The entire Department is unified behind the Secretary’s vision and will continue working to put our warfighters and America first.”
Hegseth has faced intense backlash over the Iran war since February, with protesters even infiltrating his Senate hearing in April focused on the 2027 military budget.
“Hegseth you’re a war criminal. You should be arrested,” a man raged on as the secretary picked up his coffee, taking a sip seemingly unfazed.
Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/17009666/thomas-massie-impeach-pete-hegseth-iran-war/