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U.S. Representative Thomas Massie, who is leaving Congress after losing his Republican primary earlier this year, has reintroduced eight articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, with a House vote expected as early as this week.
President Donald Trump publicly defended his Pentagon chief on Monday, while Massie warned that Hegseth could face even greater scrutiny under a Democratic-controlled Congress.
“They stand by them until the day they don't,” Massie said on CNN’s The Source Monday.
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During the interview, Massie said he believed there was a “high probability” Hegseth would not remain in his position through the end of the year.
“When the Democrats get control in January, they are not going to be as polite as I am,” he said.
The impeachment effort could be among Massie's final major actions in Congress. The Kentucky Republican lost the primary to Trump-backed challenger Ed Gallrein and will not return for the next Congress.
As for what comes next, Massie said he is weighing several possibilities but has not made a decision.
“When one door closes, another door opens. I found 10 doors that have opened, and my hardest problem is deciding what to do next,” he said at a Monday news conference.
“I haven't ruled anything out, except coming back here,” he added, referring to Congress.
Newsweek has reached out to Massie for further comment.
Why Is There a Push to Impeach Pete Hegseth?
Massie reintroduced eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth on Monday, accusing the defense secretary of violating laws and the Constitution through the Trump administration's military operations.
Three of the articles accuse Hegseth of violating the War Powers Resolution through the administration's military campaign against Iran. Other articles accuse him of dismantling safeguards intended to minimize civilian casualties, overseeing extrajudicial killings during strikes on suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, and using Pentagon authority to retaliate against Democratic Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona over constitutionally protected speech.
The resolution also addresses U.S. military operations in Yemen and the operation to capture former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Hegseth has rejected the impeachment push, calling the articles a “sham" and likening the effort to previous ones against Trump.
“Didn't work against President Trump, and it won't work with me,” he said in a video posted to X Thursday.
Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell previously told Newsweek that the secretary was “100% committed” to leading the department until the end of Trump's term in office.
Massie has argued that Hegseth had an independent responsibility to refuse unlawful orders.
“It's true that the president is culpable by asking Hegseth to carry out these orders, but Hegseth should not carry out illegal orders, and that's why we're impeaching him,” Massie said at the Monday news conference.
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Could Pete Hegseth Be Impeached?
Massie's resolution could receive a House vote as soon as Wednesday, although the timing depends on how Republican leadership handles the measure.
Massie has urged House Speaker Mike Johnson to allow the full House to debate and vote on the impeachment charges rather than dismissing the resolution or sending it to committee, which Massie argues could effectively kill the effort.
Johnson has opposed the push, saying that impeachment “in the middle of hostilities abroad would be a terrible, terrible look, a terrible thing for our allies and our enemies to see that,” Johnson said.
Under House rules, Johnson must rule on whether Massie's resolution qualifies as a privileged measure before the chamber can consider it. If it does, lawmakers would have to take it up within two legislative days.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune also questioned the timing of the effort, saying he was not sure why the House was considering it now.
“We'll see what their ultimate decision is over there,” Thune said of the House. “We'll have to deal with it accordingly here.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who is expected to become speaker when Democrats take control in January, said Sunday he is a “hard yes” on the impeachment effort. Several other Democrats have also voiced support.
The House can impeach Hegseth with a simple majority vote. If the resolution passes, the matter would move to the Senate, where a two-thirds majority of senators present would be required to convict and remove him from office.
What Has Donald Trump Said About Pete Hegseth?
Trump defended Hegseth on Monday, saying he will stand by the defense secretary despite Massie's impeachment effort.
The president praised Hegseth's handling of U.S. military operations, saying he had “won two wars,” referring to operations in Venezuela and Iran. Trump described the Venezuelan operation as “flawless” and said Hegseth was “certainly winning” the war in Iran. Trump also said Iran would “love to make a deal.”
Trump also attacked Massie, calling him a “stone-cold loser,” saying he is an “automatic no vote” against Republicans.
“There's something wrong with him,” the president added.
Hegseth is scheduled to hold a news conference at 8 a.m. ET Tuesday. Massie suggested on CNN that the timing of the appearance reflected concern within the administration about the allegations.
“Because they're worried,” Massie said. “I think the vote will not happen until he's had his news conference. He's going to go out there and try to defend himself.”
Massie added that Hegseth might try to convince people he is “likable,” but argued that was not the issue.
“The question in an impeachment is, have you broken any laws and have you violated the Constitution? And I argue in eight instances he has,” Massie said.
Massie's Career
Massie will leave Congress in January after losing the Republican primary in May to Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL endorsed by Trump. Gallrein went on to defeat Democrat Melissa Strange in the November 3 general election, winning the seat. He will succeed Massie in January.
Before entering Congress, Massie served as Lewis County judge executive in Kentucky. He studied electrical and mechanical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he developed tech that allowed people to interact with computers through touch.
After graduating, Massie founded SensAble Technologies, which raised more than $32 million in venture capital, according to his congressional biography.
Massie was first elected to represent Kentucky's 4th Congressional District in 2012. During his time in Congress, he served on the House Judiciary and Transportation and Infrastructure committees.
He has represented the district for 14 years.
Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here. Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Kate Nalepinski and Edward T. Cummins
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