Republican Congressman Thomas Massie plans to trigger a House impeachment vote against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth when Congress returns next week, amid voter discontent over the Iran war following Democrats’ Tuesday midterm sweep of both chambers. Multiple Republican sources expect the measure to pass, according to CNN, though Hegseth’s removal would require a two-thirds Senate majority that Democrats will not have even in the new Congress.
Massie, a Kentucky Republican who lost his primary in May and has only the current session of Congress to pursue impeachment, filed eight impeachment accusations against Hegseth in September. In an interview with CNN, he said he plans to trigger a vote when lawmakers reconvene.
Massie argued that Hegseth's constitutional violations include waging what he called an illegal war in Iran, defying congressional war powers, abducting foreign leaders and retaliating against critics. He referred to the January capture of then-Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, who were brought to New York to face drug trafficking charges they deny.
Hegseth, one of the biggest proponents of military action in Iran, has become a central target of voter discontent over a conflict now beyond its half-year mark. Senator Thom Tillis, who backed his January 2025 confirmation, called that vote the biggest regret of his career. Tillis said Hegseth would face a reckoning in the lame-duck session and claimed Trump would not be able to get the necessary Pentagon funding if Hegseth remains in his job. Tillis told US media the outgoing Congress has about 60 days left.
President Donald Trump told reporters Wednesday that he is not considering replacing Hegseth. "I think he's doing a very good job," Trump said.
An impeachment vote in the House requires a simple majority. Democrats currently hold 214 seats and would need only a few Republicans to reach 218. In January, when new members take office, Democrats are on track to hold about 240 seats, enough to impeach without Republican support. But removing Hegseth would need 67 votes in the Senate. Democrats will have at most 56 seats in the next Congress, meaning at least 11 Republicans would have to join them.
Vice President JD Vance acknowledged in remarks reported by Al Jazeera that "the reason we lost is the war" but did not assign blame.
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a New York Democrat on the appropriations, armed services and intelligence committees, told Axios that Hegseth's "chaotic and incompetent leadership has made America weaker and less safe, and now he will be forced to answer for it." She said the administration should be "held fully accountable."
Some of the most powerful Republican lawmakers on defence matters were defeated or were on pace to lose. Senator Susan Collins of Maine, the appropriations chairwoman, and Senator Darline Graham of South Carolina, also on appropriations, lost. Several House Republicans lost or were trailing.
Defence analysts say prospects for the administration’s full $1.5 trillion defence budget are grim. A note from TD Cowen’s Washington Research Group said Trump-branded projects were dead and that Golden Dome and Golden Fleet would be curbed. Todd Harrison of the American Enterprise Institute said the lame-duck session is unlikely to pass reconciliation and will likely keep the defence budget under a continuing resolution into next year.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- A successful House impeachment vote, even without Senate conviction, would be a historic rebuke of a sitting cabinet secretary and intensify pressure on Hegseth to resign.
- Democratic control of both chambers from January will unleash a wave of investigations into the Iran war, defence spending and Trump administration decisions, altering the balance of power.
- The Republican split over Hegseth signals a broader party struggle over whether to embrace or distance itself from the war, with implications for the 2028 presidential primaries.
Background
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has been a leading advocate for the US military campaign against Iran, which began in early 2026. The conflict has driven up the cost of living, consumed expensive munitions and drawn criticism from both parties. Voter anger over the war was a primary factor in Tuesday's Democratic sweep, in which the party won control of the House and Senate. Impeachment of cabinet officials is rare: only two have ever been impeached by the House, William Belknap in 1876 and Alejandro Mayorkas in 2024, and both were acquitted by the Senate.
Key Perspectives
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.): filing impeachment articles against Hegseth, alleging constitutional violations including an illegal war in Iran, defiance of Congress, kidnapping a foreign leader and retaliation against critics.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.): said Hegseth will face a reckoning in the lame-duck Congress and that his confirmation vote was the biggest regret of his career; argued Trump cannot get Pentagon funding if Hegseth remains.
President Donald Trump: said he is not considering replacing Hegseth and that Hegseth is doing a very good job.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.): said Hegseth's leadership has made America weaker and less safe and that he must answer for it; called for full accountability.
Vice President JD Vance: conceded that "the reason we lost is the war" but did not assign blame.
What to Watch
- Whether Massie's impeachment vote succeeds in the House next week, signalling the depth of Republican discontent.
- Whether Hegseth resigns before January, when Democrats gain subpoena power and can launch investigations without Republican cooperation.
- Whether the lame-duck Congress passes any defence reconciliation bill or simply extends current funding, leaving Trump's signature projects unfunded.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedThe Democratic sweep puts Pentagon priorities at risk.Axios: “Key Pentagon priorities in peril after Democratic sweep.”
- SupportedHegseth may be on the hot seat.Axios: “Hegseth himself may be on the hot seat.”
- SupportedAnalysts say prospects for the $1.5 trillion defence budget look grim.Axios: “Defense analysts agree prospects for the administration's full $1.5 trillion defense budget look grim.”
- SupportedTD Cowen’s Washington Research Group warned that Trump-branded projects are dead.Axios: “A Wednesday note from TD Cowen's Washington Research Group warned "Trump 'branded' projects are dead."”
- SupportedThe note said Golden Dome, Golden Fleet and other signature efforts will be curbed.Axios: “Golden Dome, Golden Fleet and "other signature efforts," it added, "will be curbed."”
- SupportedDemocratic election gains complicate Republican efforts to use reconciliation to fund administration priorities.Axios: “Surprise wins across the map for Democrats — including in the Deep South — complicate a lot for the Trump administration. Republicans have relied on a simple-majority funding mechanism known as reconciliation to pay for marquee projects like Golden Dome.”
- SupportedTodd Harrison said the lame-duck session was unlikely to pass reconciliation and expected the defence budget to operate under a continuing resolution into next year.Axios: “Todd Harrison, an American Enterprise Institute defense budget expert, said it's unlikely the lame-duck congressional session will pass reconciliation and instead will keep the defense budget operating under a continuing resolution into next year.”
- SupportedOutrage over the Iran war is expected to fuel congressional inquiries.Axios: “Outrage over the Iran war, well beyond the half-year mark, is sure to turbocharge a long list of congressional inquiries.”
- SupportedLawmakers from both parties, including Pat Ryan and Thomas Massie, have suggested impeaching Hegseth.Axios: “And lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, including Reps. Pat Ryan (D-N.Y.) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), have suggested impeaching Hegseth.”
- SupportedGillibrand said Hegseth’s leadership had made America weaker and less safe and that he would be forced to answer for it.Axios: “"Secretary Hegseth's chaotic and incompetent leadership has made America weaker and less safe, and now he will be forced to answer for it," Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.)”
- SupportedTrump told reporters he was not considering replacing Hegseth and said, “No, I think he's doing a very good job.”Axios: “President Trump told reporters he's not considering replacing Hegseth. "No, I think he's doing a very good job," he said.”
- SupportedVJ Sahi said investigations and oversight would have an impact, while the degree of impact remained TBD.Axios: “"People do expect there will be investigations and there will be oversight and all that, and certainly that will have an impact," VJ Sahi, a partner at strategic advisory firm Clark Street Associates, told Axios. But the "degree of the impact," he added, remains "TBD."”