Republican congressman to force impeachment vote on Defence Secretary Hegseth

November 10, 2026

Republican Representative Thomas Massie is forcing an impeachment vote against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth this week, alleging constitutional violations for conducting military operations in Iran for over 90 days without congressional approval. Although the effort will likely fail while Republicans control Congress until January, Massie aims to pressure President Trump into replacing Hegseth before Democrats take control and initiate their own impeachment proceedings. Hegseth has dismissed the attempt as a "sham" and defended his effectiveness, while Trump has publicly supported his Defense Secretary, praising his leadership and accomplishments.

Who is affected

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (subject of impeachment articles)
President Donald Trump (pressured to replace Hegseth)
Representative Thomas Massie (introducing impeachment resolution)
Republican members of Congress (currently in control, must vote on resolution)
Democratic leadership (planning potential impeachment efforts after January)
U.S. military personnel and Department of Defense (led by Hegseth)

What action is being taken

Representative Thomas Massie formally introduced articles of impeachment on the House floor Monday afternoon
The 48-hour clock has started for the House chamber to take up the measure
Hegseth is planning to hold a news conference on Tuesday to discuss the impeachment effort
Military operations in Iran are ongoing (have been conducted for nearly nine months)

Why it matters

This impeachment effort represents an unusual intra-party challenge, with a Republican congressman attempting to remove a cabinet member from a Republican administration. The significance extends beyond the immediate vote, which is expected to fail, as it highlights deep divisions over the Iran conflict and congressional war powers. Cabinet secretary impeachments are extremely rare in U.S. history, with only two ever occurring, and this case reflects increasing political polarization and the normalization of impeachment as a political tool. The timing is critical as it occurs during a transition period before Democrats take congressional control in January.

What's next

The House must vote on the impeachment resolution within 48 hours (by Wednesday afternoon)
Lawmakers could vote on the resolution directly, vote to refer it to committee, or set it aside
Hegseth will hold a news conference on Tuesday to discuss the impeachment effort
Democrats are expected to potentially pursue their own impeachment proceedings against Hegseth after taking control of Congress in January
If impeachment articles pass the House, the Senate would conduct a trial to decide whether to convict or acquit

Read full article from source: BBC