Massie revives Hegseth impeachment bid over war authority

Rep. Thomas Massie has revived eight impeachment charges against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, putting wartime authority before the House.

The Kentucky Republican reintroduced his resolution Monday after an earlier attempt expired. The dispute centers on allegations that Hegseth exercised military powers without congressional approval, alongside accusations concerning civilian protections and speech.

War powers dominate eight charges

Four of the resolution's eight charges concern alleged violations of the War Powers Resolution: three address military operations against Iran, while another concerns Yemen. These are accusations advanced by Massie, not established findings of unlawful conduct.

The remaining charges address alleged failures to follow civilian-protection laws, strikes against suspected drug vessels, an effort to punish Sen. Mark Kelly and the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Massie's resolution alleges that the Maduro operation lacked congressional authorization.

The resolution characterizes vessel strikes across the Caribbean and eastern Pacific as “extrajudicial killings.” Its speech-related accusation concerns efforts to penalize Kelly, an Arizona Democrat, over a video advising military personnel that they may reject unlawful orders.

Massie has presented the dispute as an institutional argument, not simply a judgment on the defense secretary. “What's at heart here is the balance of power between the executive branch and Congress,” he said.

Trump backs Hegseth against removal

Hegseth rejected the allegations in a video issued the previous Thursday, describing them as “sham articles of impeachment.” He also said: “Didn't work against President Trump and it won't work with me.”

President Trump publicly backed Hegseth while speaking with reporters Monday. “I'll stand by him,” Trump said, adding: “He won two wars. He was in charge. We all won.”

The confrontation also follows a Republican primary in which Hegseth supported Ed Gallrein, who defeated Massie. Hegseth subsequently characterized Massie as a “disgruntled defeated congressman,” a description Massie disputed while acknowledging his electoral loss.

The earlier impeachment initiative had sought action before the midterm elections. Speaker Mike Johnson called an early recess, and the resolution expired before receiving a vote; Massie's renewed filing brings the dispute back before lawmakers.

House support meets Senate hurdle

Hakeem Jeffries, the New York Democrat described as the prospective next House speaker, has indicated support for pursuing Hegseth's impeachment. The potential House coalition includes Democrats, Massie and other Republicans, but its size remains uncertain.

Republican opposition to impeachment does not necessarily mean satisfaction with the administration's handling of Congress. Rep. Warren Davidson of Ohio argues that targeting Hegseth would apply an inconsistent standard, citing earlier administrations' treatment of congressional war powers.

Davidson instead favors using congressional spending authority to restrict funding for the conflict. That approach would focus the dispute on financing military operations rather than securing enough votes to remove the defense secretary.

If supporters assemble a House majority, they would still face the separate Senate requirement: conviction and removal require a two-thirds vote. A successful House effort would therefore not, by itself, settle Hegseth's tenure.

The immediate uncertainty is whether support for impeachment translates into sufficient votes, particularly among Republicans. The broader institutional dispute concerns whether lawmakers pursue accountability through removal proceedings, spending restrictions or both.