House Republican moves to impeach US defence secretary Pete Hegseth

Pete Hegseth was battling to save his job as the US House of Representatives prepared to vote on his potential impeachment as early as this week over the US defence secretary’s handling of the Iran war.Thomas Massie, a Republican lawmaker from Kentucky and prominent critic of US president Donald Trump, on Monday filed articles of impeachment accusing Hegseth of abusing his power and flouting the US constitution by directing military operations against the Islamic republic without congressional authorisation.Massie’s move comes as Hegseth is already under pressure to quit after Republicans lost their majorities in the House and Senate following midterm elections last week. The unpopular Iran war was a top factor driving the party’s defeats.“Secretary Hegseth has acted in a manner contrary to his trust as secretary of defence and subversive of constitutional government, to the great prejudice of the cause of law and justice, and to the manifest injury of the people of the United States,” Massie said on the House floor as he introduced the impeachment resolution.READ MOREA vote on impeachment could come as early as this week in the House but it would not lead to Hegseth’s removal from office unless he were convicted by the Senate, which could be a much higher hurdle to clear. The new Democratic majorities in Congress will not take effect until January.Still, the impeachment pressure on Hegseth has made him the most likely Trump cabinet member to exit the administration in the wake of Republicans’ steep midterm losses. Last week, Trump replaced Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff with Stephen Miller in one of the first post-election staffing shake-ups.Hegseth sought to defend his record on Monday and accused lawmakers of mounting “partisan political games” against him. “There’s a lot of politically motivated people who may have substantial policy disagreements, but their disagreements are with success,” Hegseth told reporters during a trip to Rhode Island.“We are very proud of the president’s America First agenda, of our ‘peace through strength’ posture. We know the world is a better and safer place as a result,” Hegseth said. “If we want to litigate that, the success of those things, I’m happy to do it all day long,” he added. Hegseth is also planning to hold a press conference at the Pentagon on Tuesday to defend his tenure.Hegseth, a former Fox News anchor, was one of Trump’s most controversial cabinet picks at the start of his second term and has drawn criticism not just from Democrats but also from some Republicans in recent months.“I want to hear the debate on it to see if it merits impeachment versus some other disciplinary action or action by the president,” French Hill, a Republican House member from Arkansas, told CBS on Sunday.Trump has defended Hegseth. “He’s guilty of two things: basically winning two wars,” the president told reporters in Florida at the weekend. - Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2026