Rep. Thomas Massie said he will bring impeachment articles against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth unless Hegseth resigns, as pressure rises after the midterms.
What Massie posted
On Wednesday evening, Nov. 4, Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie posted on X about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
“There is one contingency in which I won’t reintroduce the articles of impeachment: Hegseth resigns,” Massie wrote.
He was answering a CNN report that he plans to force a House vote when Congress returns next week. Multiple Republican sources told CNN they expect the measure to pass.
Massie, a Republican who often clashes with President Donald Trump, introduced impeachment articles against Hegseth in September over the Iran war. That push did not get a floor vote before the midterm recess.
Why Hegseth is under fire
Republicans lost the House and Senate on Tuesday. Exit polls and party voices have pointed to the war with Iran and high living costs as big voter concerns.
Vice President JD Vance wrote on X that “the reason we lost is the war.” Some Republicans blame Hegseth for backing a conflict they say lacked a clear exit plan.
What free reporting shows:
- Massie told CNN he will trigger an impeachment vote next week unless Hegseth leaves.
- Trump told reporters Wednesday he thinks Hegseth is “doing a very good job” and is not replacing him.
- White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said Trump has “full confidence” in Hegseth, according to CBS News.
- Democrats will control both chambers in January and have signaled Pentagon investigations.
How the administration responded
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said Hegseth will not back down.
“Secretary Hegseth will not back down or be deterred by politicians seeking to score partisan points or launch phony investigations where no wrongdoing exists,” Parnell told Military.com.
Parnell also said Hegseth is “100% committed” to leading the department through the end of Trump’s term. A person close to Hegseth told CNN the secretary expects to stay and is ready to fight impeachment.
CBS and NBC have reported that Trump has privately asked advisers about Hegseth’s future, even while defending him in public.
What Democrats say
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said before the election that Democrats would run Hegseth “out of town” if they won the majority, according to The Hill.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) told Axios that Hegseth’s leadership “has made America weaker and less safe” and that he will be “forced to answer for it.”
Democrats have not yet issued a formal reply to Massie’s Wednesday night X post. Their new majorities start in January, so any House vote next week would still come in the lame-duck session.
What happens next
- Congress returns next week. Massie says he will reintroduce the articles unless Hegseth resigns.
- A House impeachment vote needs a simple majority. Senate removal needs a two-thirds vote.
- No resignation has been announced.
One Republican has tied Hegseth’s job to an impeachment vote. The White House and Pentagon say he stays.
Sources: Massie on X, WESH/CNN, CBS News, Military.com, Axios, The Hill
