Thomas Massie takes aim at Pete Hegseth with impeachment push over Trump’s Iran war
WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump’s critic, Rep Thomas Massie has launched an effort to impeach Department of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for launching an illegal war against Iran.
President Trump, not only refused to endorse Thomas Massie in the GOP primary, he actively campaigned to unseat Massie, throwing his support behind his primary challenger, Ed Gallrein.
Massie launches impeachment efforts against Hegseth
Thomas Massie, Republican representative from Kentucky's 4th congressional district, on Tuesday, Sept 15, in a significant step against fellow Republican introduced articles of impeachment on the House floor against Hegseth for “high crimes and misdemeanors.”
He argued that Pentagon’s military actions against Iran was illegal as it was not Congress approved.
Notably, Massie also took the remarkable step of making his resolution privileged, meaning he’s forcing it to the floor for a vote. By House rules, that vote must come within two days.
He argued that Hegseth violated “his oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States” and violated “his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, especially with regard to the commission of war.”
He added that Pete Hegseth has “abused the powers of the Department of Defense.”
However, it is highly unlikely for Massie to garner GOP support on floor.
Massie brough resolution to limit Trump’s war power
Massie has previously introduced war powers resolutions to limit Trump’s military actions in Iran.
Till date, the house has passed two war power resolution to curbed Trump’s war power. A few of Republicans had joined Democrats in favor of these resolution, bucking party leadership.
Under the War Powers Resolution, a president must end unauthorized US military involvement within 60 days unless Congress formally declares war or otherwise approves the operation.
The president may also receive an additional 30 days to safely withdraw US troops.
Hegseth campaigned against Massie in May primary
Trump backed Ed Gallrein, who defeated Massie in Kentucky's Republican primary on May 19, 2026.
In May, Hegseth traveled to Kentucky to stump for Massie’s primary opponent, former Navy Seal Ed Gallrein.
Hegseth ripped Massie as an obstructionist, saying that, “at some point, being against everything becomes an excuse for accomplishing nothing.”
Massie’s defeat against Gallrein ended his reelection bid.
Pentagon has praised Hegseth’s leadership as “transformative.”
“Standards and merit are back, our arsenal is stronger than ever before and morale and recruitment across every service are at all-time highs. Secretary Hegseth has slashed bureaucracy, unleashed innovation and delivered for our warfighters every step of the way,” Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson said in a statement on Tuesday.
