US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth is facing a renewed impeachment effort after Republican Representative Thomas Massie introduced a resolution charging the Pentagon chief with committing impeachable acts.
The fresh filing marks Massie’s second attempt to remove Hegseth, after a previous motion before the midterm elections was set aside by House leadership.
The resolution outlines eight specific allegations, claiming Hegseth violated the Constitution by conducting unauthorised military operations in Iran, breaching the War Powers Resolution, and directing controversial Caribbean boat strikes.
Additional charges allege the unlawful kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and the blocking of promotions for 50 senior military officers.
President Donald Trump strongly defended Hegseth, dismissing Massie’s initiative and pointing to military outcomes in Iran and Venezuela. “Pete Hegseth should be praised, not impeached,” Trump stated, urging congressional Republicans to reject the measure. Hegseth also brushed off the filing, describing it as a politically motivated effort.
If passed by the House, Hegseth would become only the third cabinet secretary impeached in US history, following William Belknap in 1876 and Alejandro Mayorkas in 2024. However, conviction remains unlikely in the Senate, where a two-thirds supermajority is required.
