Summary

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) is taking one of his most aggressive shots at the Trump administration since his failed reelection bid, filing eight articles of impeachment against Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Tuesday and forcing House Republicans to vote on whether to remove the Pentagon chief. Massie introduced the privileged resolution on the House floor, accusing Hegseth of committing “high crimes and misdemeanors” through his handling of the war in Iran, military operations in Yemen and the Caribbean, the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, and his treatment of Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ). Because Massie filed the resolution as privileged, the House must take it up within two legislative days. Republicans control the chamber, meaning GOP leaders could move to table the resolution rather than advance it toward an impeachment trial. The impeachment push represents a remarkable escalation in the long-running feud between Massie and the Trump administration, a conflict that has already cost Massie his congressional seat in an embarrassing primary rout. Massie lost the Republican primary for Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District in May to Ed Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL backed by President Donald Trump. Hegseth personally traveled to Kentucky the day before the primary to campaign for Gallrein, an unusual intervention by a sitting Pentagon chief. Gallrein defeated Massie 55% to 45%, according to the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s report on the final vote. Massie is now serving out the remainder of his congressional term. Massie has spent much of the year flailing at the administration; now, his impeachment resolution makes his dispute over the handling of the Iran conflict the centerpiece of its first three articles. The first article of impeachment alleges that Hegseth initiated the Iran war without a declaration of war, statutory authorization, an attack on the United States, or an imminent threat. The second accuses him of defying congressional directives to withdraw U.S. forces from Iran, while the third alleges that Hegseth continued hostilities after the expiration of the War Powers Resolution’s statutory time limits. Massie’s remaining articles broaden the case considerably. One accuses Hegseth of failing to minimize civilian casualties, and another alleges “extrajudicial killing” in connection with U.S. strikes against suspected drug traffickers in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. The sixth accuses Hegseth of retaliating against Kelly over a video in which Kelly and other lawmakers told members of the military they had an obligation to refuse illegal orders. Massie characterizes Hegseth’s response as an unconstitutional effort to suppress protected speech. The seventh article targets Hegseth’s involvement in the January operation that led to Maduro’s capture and extradition. Massie alleges that the operation lacked constitutional or legal authority. The eighth focuses on the administration’s military campaign in Yemen, accusing Hegseth of initiating Operation Rough Rider without congressional authorization or an imminent threat to the United States and of violating war-powers reporting requirements. “These constitutional violations extend beyond the illegal war in Iran,” Massie said after reading the resolution. He accused Hegseth of “abusing the power of his office” and said Congress must not “turn a blind eye” to what he characterized as unconstitutional and illegal actions. Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson rejected that characterization, telling NPR that Hegseth has been a “transformative leader” and that “the entire department is unified behind” Hegseth’s leadership. Massie’s effort is not the first attempt to impeach Hegseth this year; House Democrats introduced six articles against the secretary in April, including allegations related to the Iran war and other conduct.