Massie Unloads On Hegseth After Iran War Cost Elections
Rep. Thomas Massie will force a vote to impeach Secretary of War Pete Hegseth when Congress returns next week. Several House Republicans told Fox News that they believe this resolution could pass with a small number of GOP votes.
The push comes after Democrats took the House and Senate on Tuesday night. Vice President JD Vance blamed the loss directly on the war in Iran. He wrote on X that "The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night," according to the Washington Examiner.
Massie gave the Cabinet official a clear choice on Wednesday night. He said Hegseth can resign or face impeachment charges in the final stretch of the 119th Congress. Massie wrote in a post that "There is one contingency in which I won't reintroduce the articles of impeachment: Hegseth resigns," per the Washington Examiner.
If Massie files a privileged resolution, lawmakers have just two legislative days to hold a vote. Leaders can try to kill the bill by tabling it, but the process moves fast. One House GOP lawmaker told Fox News simply, "He's screwed." A second Republican added, "If he introduces it, it'll pass."
The impeachment articles focus heavily on the conflict in Iran and operations in Venezuela. Four of the eight articles center on Iran, including trampling "Congress' exclusive constitutional authority to declare war," according to Reason Magazine.
The bill also charges Hegseth with ordering "extrajudicial killings" off the coast of Venezuela. Massie claims Hegseth asserted a unilateral power to decide who lives and who dies. Sen. Ted Cruz said the Iran war "has dragged on too long" and should have been "brief, decisive, and over," the Washington Examiner reported.
President Trump made the final call to launch military operations, but Hegseth oversees the defense forces. Some party members feel the defense chief has become a fall guy for the election results. A former White House official told Fox News that "Hegseth is on the chopping block." The House will revisit these articles as soon as it returns from recess.
