US Republican Congressman Thomas Massie has moved to impeach Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth over his handling of the war in Iran, accusing him of defying Congress and continuing military operations without proper authorisation.
Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, introduced an eight-article impeachment resolution on Tuesday, September 15, accusing Hegseth of abusing his office and violating Congress’ constitutional authority over decisions involving war.
The resolution is privileged, meaning the House must take it up within two legislative days. However, Republican leaders could move to table the measure instead of allowing a full impeachment process to proceed.
Massie has been a vocal critic of the Trump administration’s military campaign in Iran and has repeatedly pushed Congress to assert its war powers.
Massie accuses Hegseth of defying Congress
In the resolution, Massie alleged that Hegseth carried out orders to continue US military operations against Iran despite Congress having voted on measures seeking to end the hostilities.
Massie argued that the Defence Secretary’s actions prevented Congress from exercising what he described as its constitutional responsibility over war powers.
“In all of this, Secretary Hegseth has acted in a manner contrary to his trust as Secretary of Defense,” Massie said on the House floor.
The resolution also accuses Hegseth of wrongdoing over US military operations involving Venezuela and Yemen. One of the articles alleges that he directed an operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro without congressional authorisation.
The allegations contained in the resolution have not been established through an impeachment trial.
Massie’s impeachment move follows several attempts in the House to limit the Trump administration’s military operations in Iran.
According to the resolution, Congress passed war powers measures in June and July directing the president to end US hostilities with Tehran.
Massie has argued that continuing the military campaign despite those congressional actions amounts to a violation of the constitutional separation of powers.
The latest impeachment effort also comes as lawmakers remain divided over the scope of the president’s authority to conduct military operations without explicit congressional approval.
Hegseth is already facing a separate impeachment effort from House Democrats.
Democratic lawmakers introduced six articles of impeachment against him in April, including allegations linked to the US military campaign in Iran.
Massie’s resolution, however, comes from within Trump’s Republican Party and focuses heavily on the administration’s handling of war powers.
The Kentucky congressman did not inform Republican leaders before introducing the resolution, according to Axios. His decision allows the measure to move under privileged procedures and potentially force lawmakers to take a public position on Hegseth’s conduct.
The House is required to consider Massie’s resolution within two legislative days. Republican leaders could allow a vote on the impeachment resolution or seek to table it.
The outcome will determine whether Massie’s effort advances beyond the initial resolution.
The impeachment move comes ahead of the November midterm elections and adds another dispute over the Trump administration’s handling of the Iran conflict to the House’s agenda.
