The Kentucky Republican’s resolution centers on the Iran war and alleges other abuses involving military operations and congressional authority.
WASHINGTON, DC — Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky reintroduced eight articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday, setting in motion a House process that could force lawmakers to act on the resolution within two legislative days.
Massie’s resolution accuses Hegseth of high crimes and misdemeanors, with three articles focused on alleged violations of the War Powers Resolution during the U.S. war with Iran. The remaining articles raise allegations involving civilian casualties, military strikes on suspected drug-trafficking boats, retaliation against Sen. Mark Kelly, the U.S. operation that captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and military action in Yemen. Hegseth has rejected the impeachment effort, while President Donald Trump said Monday that he would stand by his defense secretary.
Massie first pursued the impeachment resolution before the midterm elections, but that effort expired after the House left Washington without taking it up. He reintroduced the measure as lawmakers returned Monday for the final weeks of the current Congress. Because Massie presented it as a privileged resolution, House leaders face a limited period in which to respond. They could allow a vote on impeachment or seek to dispose of the measure through a procedural motion, including tabling it or referring it to a committee.
The first three articles accuse Hegseth of violating different provisions of the 1973 War Powers Resolution. Massie alleges that the Pentagon entered hostilities against Iran without a declaration of war or other congressional authorization, continued military operations after Congress directed U.S. forces to leave the conflict and kept fighting beyond statutory time limits governing unauthorized hostilities. Massie said Monday that the dispute goes to the constitutional division of war-making authority between Congress and the executive branch. The allegations remain claims contained in the impeachment resolution and have not been adjudicated.
A fourth article alleges that Hegseth failed to follow laws and Defense Department safeguards intended to reduce civilian casualties. A fifth focuses on U.S. military strikes against vessels suspected of carrying drugs in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific. The resolution characterizes those operations as unlawful killings and accuses the Pentagon of replacing normal maritime law enforcement with military force. The Trump administration has defended its broader use of military power, and Hegseth has rejected accusations that his leadership warrants impeachment.
The sixth article alleges that Hegseth improperly used Defense Department authority against Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., after Kelly joined other lawmakers with military or intelligence backgrounds in a video telling service members that they are not required to obey unlawful orders. The Pentagon took action against Kelly, a retired Navy captain, including a letter of censure. Massie’s resolution argues that the response amounted to retaliation for constitutionally protected speech. Hegseth and administration allies have disputed the broader characterization of his conduct as an impeachable abuse of power.
The seventh article concerns the U.S. operation that captured Maduro and Cilia Flores in Venezuela. Massie alleges that Hegseth directed military action against a sovereign country without congressional authorization. An eighth article challenges U.S. operations in Yemen, accusing Hegseth of initiating hostilities without authorization from Congress or an imminent threat that would justify military action under the resolution’s legal theory. Together, the eight articles seek to frame the impeachment case as a broader dispute over the Pentagon’s use of force and the limits Congress can impose on the executive branch.
Hegseth has dismissed the effort as political. In a video released before Massie renewed the resolution, he called the charges “sham articles of impeachment” and said impeachment efforts had failed against Trump and would fail against him. Speaking to reporters Monday, Hegseth defended the administration’s military decisions and said the war with Iran was necessary even if it was unpopular. He also announced plans for a Tuesday press conference to address the impeachment threat and the administration’s foreign policy decisions.
Trump offered Hegseth an explicit show of support Monday. “I’ll stand by him,” the president told reporters, while praising the defense secretary’s role in the administration’s military campaigns. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also defended Hegseth and said he believed the defense secretary had done a good job. The administration’s response comes as some Republican lawmakers have voiced frustration with the Iran conflict and its political consequences following the party’s losses in the midterm elections.
Democratic support could prove important if the resolution reaches a substantive vote. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said Monday that he supports impeaching Hegseth. Democrats are set to take control of Congress in January, but the current Republican-controlled House must deal with Massie’s privileged resolution first. Massie, an outgoing Republican who has repeatedly broken with Trump on war powers and other issues, has urged colleagues to vote directly on the allegations rather than allow leadership to dispose of the resolution procedurally.
Impeachment by the House would require a simple majority. Conviction and removal would then require a two-thirds vote in the Senate, a substantially higher threshold. House action could come by Nov. 11 unless lawmakers first approve a procedural motion that stops the resolution. Hegseth remains defense secretary and is scheduled to publicly defend his record Tuesday as the House considers how to respond to Massie’s renewed impeachment effort.
Author note: Last updated November 9, 2026.