The political confrontation centers on Massie, who announced on Wednesday that he intends to reintroduce articles of impeachment when lawmakers return to Washington on Monday. Massie, who lost his recent Republican primary, urged President Trump to replace Hegseth while Republicans still hold a majority in the Senate. “My Hegseth impeachment resolution is a much gentler version of what’s coming when Dem’s control Congress. They’ll have hearings & trials,” Massie wrote on X. He added a specific condition for dropping the effort: “There is one contingency in which I won’t reintroduce the articles of impeachment: Hegseth resigns.”
The push for impeachment follows significant political shifts, including GOP losses in this week’s midterm elections and the recent Iran war, which have been cited as driving forces behind the effort to remove the Defense Secretary. Numerous Democrats, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York—who is poised to become the next speaker—have indicated a desire to oust Hegseth. In September, Massie attempted to force a vote on impeachment, but his efforts were stunted when then-House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., sent the House home early. For an impeachment measure to pass, Massie would need to secure votes from several Republicans to join all Democrats in support.
President Trump has publicly distanced himself from the impeachment threat, stating on Wednesday that he is not planning to replace Hegseth. On Thursday, Trump further defended the Secretary, saying Hegseth “has done a fantastic job” and acknowledged that Hegseth “probably has opposition” regarding his actions, which include purging military leadership. However, reports indicate a discrepancy between public statements and private discussions. According to two people familiar with the discussions, Trump has told some allies he is considering replacing Hegseth and has asked them who they believe should succeed him. This contradicts previous assertions by the President that he was not considering dismissing department heads shortly before their departures.
Historical context for the potential vote is limited. The House has impeached only two Cabinet officials in its history: William Belknap, the secretary of war in the 1870s, and former Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who was impeached in a partisan vote under President Joe Biden. No Cabinet members have ever been convicted by the Senate. As the House prepares to reconvene on Monday, the next scheduled step in this political dispute will be the formal reintroduction of Massie’s impeachment articles, setting the stage for a potential vote that requires a coalition of bipartisan support to advance.
