Washington, Nov 10: In 250 years of American history, the House of Representatives has impeached a Cabinet secretary only twice. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth could become the third - and the first to be impeached by a House controlled by his own party.
Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky on Monday reintroduced a privileged resolution containing eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth, forcing House leadership to schedule a floor vote by Wednesday.
It is Massie's second attempt. On September 15, he read the same eight articles into the record, but Speaker Mike Johnson cancelled Thursday's votes and sent the House into its pre-election recess early, delaying any vote. Massie has now brought it back on the first day Congress has sat since the November 4 midterm elections, in which Democrats won majorities in both chambers.
If impeached, Hegseth would follow William W. Belknap, Secretary of War under President Ulysses S. Grant in 1876, who was impeached for corruption and kickbacks, and Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of Homeland Security under President Joe Biden in 2024, who was impeached for allegedly failing to enforce immigration laws. Both were acquitted by the Senate.
What Are The Charges?
Massie's resolution accuses Hegseth of waging an unauthorized war, violating the 1973 War Powers Resolution, and overseeing unlawful military operations.
The articles cite the US-Israeli war with Iran that began in late February 2026, strikes in Yemen, attacks on vessels suspected of drug trafficking in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, and the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in January 2026. Other articles allege direction of extrajudicial killings, failure to protect civilians, suppressing free speech of a US senator, and blocking promotions of 50 senior officers.
Why Now?
The move comes amid a Republican reckoning after crushing losses in the midterms. Analysts have linked voter anger over the Iran war and rising gas prices to the defeat. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has said Democrats' first order of business when they take control on January 3 will be to “run Hegseth out of town.”
Some Republicans who narrowly survived are wavering. Representative French Hill of Arkansas, who barely won re-election, refused to rule out voting yes. House Oversight Chairman James Comer said it is "very possible" that votes exist to impeach.
President Donald Trump defended his Defence Secretary on Monday. "Yeah, I'll stand by him... He won two wars. He was in charge," he told reporters.
Under the Constitution, impeachment requires a simple majority in the House, followed by a trial in the Senate where a two-thirds majority - 67 votes - is needed to convict and remove. Even with a Democratic Senate, conviction is seen as unlikely. Senate leaders are expected to move to dismiss the case or refer it to committee if the House passes it.
An Economist/YouGov poll in September found 50% of American adults would support impeaching Hegseth.