Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is facing a formal impeachment push from an unlikely source: a Republican congressman.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) took to the House floor Monday to read articles of impeachment against Hegseth, accusing him of violating the Constitution through the use of U.S. military force against Iran without congressional authorization.
Massie argued that Hegseth has shown he “will remain a threat to the Constitution if allowed to remain in office.”
In reading the articles, Massie emphasized that Congress had never declared war against Iran or passed legislation authorizing U.S. forces to engage in hostilities against the country. He also argued that no emergency justified bypassing Congress and that Iran had not launched an attack on the United States or its military.
Massie then laid out the central charge against the defense secretary, arguing that Hegseth had acted in a way “grossly incompatible with his duties and the rule of law.”
The articles call for Hegseth’s impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification from holding any future federal office.
The move puts Hegseth’s conduct over the Iran conflict directly in the congressional spotlight, with Massie making the case that the nation’s top defense official cannot simply bypass Congress when it comes to decisions that could take the country into war.
