Republican lawmaker moves to force vote to impeach Hegseth
Kentucky Republican Thomas Massie has introduced a resolution to impeach US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth over military actions in Iran.
Republican Congressman Thomas Massie moved on Monday to force a vote in the US House of Representatives to impeach Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, accused Hegseth of breaking the law by conducting military operations in Iran for more than 90 days without congressional authorisation.
According to the Times of India, Massie has outlined eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth. The lawmaker also alleged that the Pentagon chief intimidated critics of the Trump administration, kidnapped foreign leaders, and ignored congressional resolutions regarding war powers.
Hegseth dismissed the impeachment threat, telling reporters on Monday that he is not worried. Speaking in Rhode Island on Tuesday, Hegseth described the move as politically motivated and stated that his critics simply disagree with the administration's record of success.
Hegseth defended the military actions against Iran, arguing they were necessary to address the nuclear ambitions of the Iranian regime. He said he was prepared to defend the administration's decisions and noted that such actions do not necessarily have to be popular to be necessary.
Massie stated his intention is to pressure President Donald Trump to replace Hegseth before Democrats take control of Congress next year. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said on Sunday that he is a hard yes on the impeachment.
Under House rules, Speaker Mike Johnson must schedule consideration of the resolution within two days. Removing a Cabinet secretary requires approval from both the House and the Senate.