Thomas Massie Seeks Impeachment of Pete Hegseth as Republicans Face Post-Election Fallout

Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky introduced a resolution in the U.S. House on Monday, Nov. 9, seeking the impeachment of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The move came as criticism grew over the administration’s handling of the war with Iran and pressure mounted on members of President Donald Trump’s government after Republicans lost control of Congress in the midterm elections.

The Iran conflict and its effects on the U.S. economy were among the factors Republican members cited to explain Democrats’ gains at the polls. Higher fuel prices, airfares and other costs put pressure on household budgets and fueled dissatisfaction with the White House’s economic policies. Trump acknowledged that the war affected the election result, particularly through rising fuel costs, but said he would make the decision to launch the operation again. Vice President JD Vance also cited the conflict as one reason for the Republican defeat. Fighting continues at a reduced intensity despite an unsuccessful cease-fire effort.

Hegseth played down the prospect of leaving his post and said he was prepared to defend the administration’s military decisions. Speaking to reporters Monday after an address at the U.S. Naval War College in Rhode Island, he linked criticism of his leadership to political disagreements over the outcomes of military operations. “If you want to question what we did in Operation Epic Fury, Rough Rider or the capture of Nicolás Maduro, you are questioning the troops and what they accomplished—something historic,” he said. Hegseth’s references were to the U.S. military campaign against Iran, strikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen and the operation that resulted in the capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Hegseth also announced that he would hold a news conference Tuesday, Nov. 10. It would be his first in more than 180 days; his previous news conference was in May, before criticism intensified over the Pentagon’s role in the war with Iran and other U.S. military operations. He described the objections to his leadership as politically motivated and said he was not concerned about the possibility of being removed from office.

“There are many politically motivated people who may have substantial policy disagreements, but their disagreement is with success,” Hegseth said. He added that his team was not worried about “the noise,” saying he had given troops the same message. He again defended the military operation as necessary to prevent Iran’s government from developing a nuclear weapon. In his account, the administration had to choose between acting against Tehran’s nuclear program and waiting for the threat to disappear. “Someone had to confront the Iranian regime’s pursuit of a nuclear weapon. The choice was to do nothing and hope the problem went away, or to make a bold decision,” he said.