House Moves Toward Vote on Massie's Eight Articles Impeaching Hegseth

WASHINGTON — The House is set to vote Tuesday evening on whether to advance articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a test of how far Republican anger over the Iran war has spread after the party's midterm defeats.

Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, introduced a 34-page resolution with eight articles on Monday, accusing Hegseth of high crimes and misdemeanors. Massie said the House will likely first hold a procedural vote to table the measure. The outcome is uncertain. House GOP leaders say they will defeat it, but attendance problems among members who lost their races could open the door to passage.

Article I accuses Hegseth of following illegal orders to begin the Iran war without a declaration of war or congressional authorization, in violation of the War Powers Resolution. Article II says he ignored a measure approved by both chambers in June directing the administration to remove U.S. forces from hostilities with Iran, the first time both chambers had passed such a resolution. The resolution says Hegseth kept directing hostilities on June 26 and after. The administration has argued that hostilities ended and that a ceasefire paused the 60-day clock.

Article IV blames Hegseth for dismantling Pentagon safeguards meant to limit civilian casualties and ties that to a Tomahawk strike on an Iranian school in the war's first wave. Iranian media reported roughly 170 civilians killed, most of them children. The U.S. has not directly accepted responsibility. Other articles cover the campaign of strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, which the resolution says has killed at least 243 people since September 2025, including two survivors of a Sept. 2, 2025 strike who were killed in a second attack.

Article VI accuses Hegseth of retaliating against Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly for a video telling troops they can refuse illegal orders; a federal judge blocked Hegseth's censure and threatened rank reduction. Article VII calls the January 2026 raid that captured Nicolás Maduro an act of war carried out without authorization, involving more than 200 special operations personnel and killing at least 83 people. Article VIII covers more than 1,100 strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen in 2025.

Hegseth called the effort a "farce" and "political spectacle" at a Pentagon briefing Tuesday. "What one disgruntled and defeated congressman is attempting is not oversight, and it's not accountability," he said. He claimed it is only a first step toward action against troops who took part in the boat strikes. President Trump gave Hegseth an "A PLUS, PLUS, PLUS" on Truth Social and called Massie a "TOTAL LOSER." CBS News has also reported that Trump has asked aides whether Hegseth should stay.

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said Monday he is a "hard yes" on impeachment. Massie lost his May primary to a Trump-backed challenger, and Hegseth and Trump have both pointed to his defeat in attacking the effort. Even if the House were to impeach, conviction would need two-thirds of the Senate, a bar that looks out of reach.