Republican moves to impeach Trump’s war chief after election rout
Outgoing US Representative Thomas Massie has reintroduced eight articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump’s War Secretary Pete Hegseth after Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress.
Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, alleges that Hegseth violated the 1973 War Powers Resolution by waging war against Iran without congressional authorization and failed to minimize civilian casualties during US strikes. The conflict, triggered by a joint US-Israeli attack on Iran on February 28, has been “unlawful from its inception,” Massie said on Monday.
The congressman also argued that the 2025 strikes in Yemen and the January commando raid in Caracas, during which US forces abducted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, were illegal. He described US strikes on suspected drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean, which have reportedly killed at least 243 people, as extrajudicial killings.
“My effort to impeach Secretary Hegseth is a much gentler version of what’s coming when the Democrats assume control of the House and Senate next year,” Massie said.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer echoed Massie’s call in a speech on the Senate floor. “America needs a serious Secretary of Defense right now – not a wannabe warlord. Hegseth must stand trial before the Senate,” he said.
Massie first introduced articles of impeachment against Hegseth in September, but the effort stalled after Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson canceled the chamber’s remaining votes ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. The House could vote on the renewed impeachment resolution as early as Wednesday.
Democrats subsequently dealt Republicans a major electoral blow, winning control of both the House and Senate. The results were widely interpreted as a rebuke to Trump’s policies, including the unpopular Iran war, which has driven up energy prices by disrupting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global oil and LNG trade.
On Truth Social, Trump dismissed Massie as a “total loser” and hailed Hegseth as “perhaps the most popular and successful military official in the country.” The war secretary remained defiant, vowing over the weekend to “finish what we have started” despite the Republicans’ election losses.
On Monday, Trump said an escalation with Iran “seems to be quite unlikely” and expressed hope for a negotiated settlement. “We are seeing positive momentum toward an end to this Conflict, and will ensure that America’s interests are at all times protected,” he wrote on Truth Social.
