Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie formally introduced eight articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday, escalating a rare intra-party challenge to one of President Donald Trump’s top cabinet officials. The move highlights growing tensions within the GOP over the handling of military operations and Pentagon leadership.
The articles allege that Hegseth is waging the conflict in Iran in violation of the War Powers Resolution of 1973. Massie stated that by engaging in hostilities for more than 90 days without congressional authorization, the Defense Secretary is breaking the law and violating his constitutional oath.
Additional articles accuse Hegseth of abusing his office by using the Department of Defense to suppress free speech, specifically retaliating against Senator Mark Kelly for making a video with Democratic colleagues reminding military and intelligence personnel that they may refuse illegal orders. Another article contends that the U.S. military operation in Venezuela, which resulted in the capture of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, lacked constitutional or legal authority.
“If we are to remain true to our oath to ‘support and defend the Constitution of the United States,’ Congress must not turn a blind eye to Secretary Hegseth’s unconstitutional and illegal actions,” Massie said in a statement. He also claimed that he did not notify Republican leaders in advance of his decision to pursue impeachment.
Despite the gravity of the charges, the effort faces significant procedural hurdles. With Republicans controlling both chambers of Congress, a two-thirds majority vote in the Senate would be required to convict and remove Hegseth, making the prospect of success unlikely. It remains unclear when the House will schedule a vote, as the chamber is set to recess later this week.
The impeachment push follows mounting criticism from within Massie’s own party. Earlier this month, Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina called on Trump to replace Hegseth, citing widespread dysfunction at the Pentagon. Tillis described Hegseth’s management as “inept” and accused him of retreating into culture wars rather than addressing national defense priorities.
Rep. Don Bacon, a Republican from Nebraska, told CNN that while he would not explicitly urge the president to fire the defense secretary, he agreed with Tillis’s sentiments. “I would not—[Hegseth] would not be on my team. I think he is—he has not been a very good leader in many ways,” Bacon said.
President Trump has continued to publicly back Hegseth, describing his performance as “fantastic.” During a press conference on Tuesday, Attorney General Todd Blanche dismissed the impeachment efforts, asserting that Hegseth “follows the law” and is doing a “phenomenal job.”
Massie’s move is consistent with his recent pattern of clashing with the White House. He previously opposed Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” criticized the Venezuela operation, and joined Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna in forcing the release of Jeffrey Epstein-related files. In response to these dissenting views, Trump attacked Massie as a “totally ineffective LOSER” and campaigned for his primary opponent, Ed Gallrein, who defeated Massie in May.
Two-thirds majority in the Senate seems impossible here. Is this purely symbolic, or do they really think it will succeed?
Honestly, Massie has been the only one consistently challenging executive overreach. Good to see someone actually enforcing the War Powers Resolution.
Wait, did the military actually capture Maduro in Venezuela? I missed that part of the news cycle entirely. Is this confirmed?
This is unprecedented. A Republican impeaching a Trump appointee over war powers shows just how deep the intra-party rift has grown lately.