Republican Thomas Massie Takes Defense Secretary Hegseth's Removal to House of Representatives

Pressure for the removal of US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has grown since the November 3 elections, even from within the Republican Party. Kentucky Representative Thomas Massie is preparing to bring an impeachment resolution to a vote this week, accusing Hegseth of disregarding Congress's authority and unlawfully pursuing war with Iran.

According to reporting cited by Cumhuriyet Gazetesi from Axios and Al Arabiya, Republican representatives who lost their seats in the elections may now break ranks with the party. Representative Don Bacon, who is leaving Congress, told Fox News that Hegseth is "not well-liked" on Capitol Hill; he told Axios that he has not yet decided how he will vote on the measure.

Massie stated, "There is only one circumstance in which I will not resubmit impeachment articles: if Hegseth resigns." Hegseth, meanwhile, characterized the effort as a "farce" in a video posted on X.

US Defense Department spokesman Sean Parnell stated that Hegseth is "100 percent committed" to running the department through the end of President Trump's term. Trump told reporters on Wednesday that he plans to keep Hegseth in office, defending him.

Under the Constitution, removal requires a two-thirds vote for conviction among senators present; even if Democrats take Senate control in January, Republican senator support would be necessary to surpass this threshold.