Thomas Massie moved Monday, November 9, 2026, to force a vote in the U.S. House on impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, reviving a fight that Republican leaders postponed before the midterm elections.
The Kentucky Republican’s resolution accuses Hegseth of committing high crimes and misdemeanours through his handling of the war in Iran and other military operations involving Yemen and Venezuela.
A House vote could come as early as Wednesday, although the timing depends on how congressional leaders manage the resolution after lawmakers returned to Washington for a six-week lame-duck session.
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What Thomas Massie is alleging
The resolution contains eight articles of impeachment, according to documents released by Massie’s office.
Three articles centre on the War Powers Resolution, including allegations that Hegseth helped begin hostilities against Iran without a declaration of war, specific congressional authorization or an emergency caused by an attack on the United States.
Massie also alleges that Hegseth continued the conflict after Congress adopted a concurrent resolution directing the removal of U.S. forces from unauthorized hostilities.
The resolution further claims that the defence secretary ignored statutory limits on the duration of military action and failed to comply with laws intended to reduce civilian casualties.
Other articles accuse Hegseth of authorizing extrajudicial killings in operations against suspected drug traffickers, retaliating against Senator Mark Kelly over protected speech, and directing the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores without legal authority.
The allegations are claims advanced by Massie in an impeachment resolution and would require consideration by the House before any matter could proceed to a Senate trial.
Hegseth rejects the impeachment effort
Hegseth dismissed the threat Monday as politically motivated criticism and said he was prepared to defend the administration’s military decisions.
He argued that challenging the operations in Iran, Yemen and Venezuela amounted to challenging the work of U.S. service members and said he was willing to debate those decisions publicly.
Hegseth is scheduled to hold a news conference Tuesday, his first in more than 180 days, as pressure builds around the impeachment effort.
President Donald Trump has defended Hegseth and said the secretary’s record should be judged by what the administration describes as successful military campaigns.
Republican leaders oppose the move
House Speaker Mike Johnson has criticized the impeachment push and said Cabinet secretaries should not be targeted for political gain while U.S. forces remain involved in overseas hostilities.
Johnson’s opposition creates an immediate test of whether House leadership can delay or block a vote during the remaining weeks of the current Congress.
Massie first introduced the impeachment resolution on September 15, 2026, but the House adjourned before the issue reached a final vote.
He said he would bring the articles back after the elections unless Hegseth resigned.
The renewed effort comes after Democrats won control of both chambers in the November 3 midterm elections, leaving Republicans to complete the lame-duck session before the new Congress takes office on January 3, 2027.
What happens next
The House must first determine how to handle the privileged impeachment resolution before lawmakers can vote on whether to impeach Hegseth.
If the House approves any article of impeachment, the matter would move to the Senate, which would decide whether to conduct a trial and whether the secretary should be removed from office.
Impeachment by the House would not automatically remove Hegseth from the Pentagon.
The political stakes are significant because Massie is a Republican challenging a senior official in a Republican administration while his party is defending the legality of an unpopular foreign-policy agenda.
Democratic lawmakers have signalled support for the resolution, while some Republicans have expressed concern about the war and its political consequences without committing to impeachment.
The vote will therefore test both congressional oversight of military operations and the ability of Republican leaders to keep their caucus aligned during the final weeks of the outgoing Congress.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Thomas Massie do on November 9, 2026?
Massie moved to force the U.S. House to vote on articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Why does Massie want to impeach Pete Hegseth?
Massie alleges that Hegseth violated congressional war powers and committed other offences involving military operations, civilian casualties, free speech and Venezuela.
How many impeachment articles are included?
Massie’s resolution contains eight articles of impeachment.
Would House impeachment immediately remove Hegseth?
No. Impeachment by the House would send the matter to the Senate, where a trial and conviction would be required for removal.
When could the House vote?
A vote could occur as early as the middle of the week of November 9, 2026, although the final schedule depends on House leadership.
Fact-Checked: Key dates, allegations and procedural details were checked against Rep. Thomas Massie’s official announcement and the released impeachment resolution.
Disclaimer: The impeachment allegations described in this article are claims made in Massie’s resolution and have not been adjudicated by the House or Senate.