Republican moves to impeach Trump’s defence secretary

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. (Photo by NICOLAS TUCAT / AFP)

A Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, Thomas Massie, has filed articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump’s Defence Secretary, Pete Hegseth, over his handling of the war with Iran.

CNN reports on Monday that Massie, who represents Kentucky, introduced the articles on the House floor on Monday, accusing Hegseth of abusing his office and implementing what he described as unlawful orders to launch a war against a foreign country.

According to CNN, a vote on the impeachment motion would have to take place by Wednesday.

In presenting the articles, Massie said Hegseth had “knowingly executed and implemented unlawful orders to initiate war against a foreign nation”.

He added that the defence secretary had demonstrated that he remained “a threat to the Constitution” and had acted in a manner incompatible with his responsibilities and the rule of law.

“Secretary of Defence Peter Hegseth, by such conduct, has demonstrated that he will remain a threat to the Constitution if allowed to remain in office, and has acted in a manner grossly incompatible with his duties and the rule of law,” Massie said.

Hegseth has remained defiant, while Trump has publicly backed his defence secretary. The Pentagon chief is also expected to address the matter at a news conference on Tuesday.

The impeachment move comes amid growing criticism of Hegseth following the Republican Party’s poor performance in the 2026 midterm elections.

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CNN reported that some Republican lawmakers and allies had blamed the Iran war for the electoral setback.

According to CNN, Republican lawmakers have accused Hegseth of playing a leading role in persuading Trump to attack Iran without a clear exit strategy and of overstating how quickly the United States could achieve its military objectives.

Although a simple majority in the House is required to impeach Hegseth, removing him from office would require conviction by a two-thirds majority in the Senate, a much higher threshold that would require support from a significant number of Republican senators.

CNN reported that the effort could secure enough votes in the House if Democrats, Massie and a small number of Republicans support it, but faces a much tougher prospect in the Senate.

US Vice President JD Vance attributed the Republican losses to the war, while Trump acknowledged that the conflict had contributed to higher petrol prices, although he defended the decision to attack Iran.

Trump has, however, continued to defend Hegseth, rejecting suggestions that he should be removed from office.

Hegseth, 46, is a former Fox News presenter and US Army National Guard officer who served in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay. He graduated from Princeton University in 2003 and later earned a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard University.