From Vox · Peter Balonon-Rosen · · 3m
Republicans push to impeach Defense Secretary Hegseth
Rep. Thomas Massie introduced eight articles of impeachment against Pete Hegseth over his conduct in the Iran war, with votes expected this week.
In brief
Rep. Thomas Massie introduced eight articles of impeachment against Pete Hegseth over his conduct in the Iran war, with votes expected this week. Republican Rep. Thomas Massie introduced eight articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday, with House votes expected Wednesday, potentially…
Hegseth faces impeachment
Republican Rep. Thomas Massie introduced eight articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday, potentially making him the third Cabinet member in history to be impeached.
The charges against Hegseth
Articles accuse Hegseth of waging war without congressional authorization, carrying out unlawful military strikes against boats in the Caribbean and Pacific, suppressing free speech, kidnapping former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and waging unlawful war in…
Timeline for House votes
A procedural vote is set for Tuesday evening with impeachment votes following as soon as Wednesday. Republicans hold a slim House majority until January following last week's Democratic tsunami in the midterm elections.
Hegseth defends himself
On Tuesday, Hegseth defended his tenure at the Pentagon in a rare press conference, calling the impeachment effort a political spectacle driven by ego and resentment.
“political spectacle, a personal manifesto driven by ego and resentment”
Trump backs Hegseth
Following the press conference, President Donald Trump posted online that Hegseth deserves an A PLUS PLUS PLUS for defending himself.
“A PLUS PLUS PLUS”
Why the Iran war matters
The Iran war is eight months and counting with no easy off-ramps. A group of Republicans voted for Trump because he said he would not get us into protracted wars.
War's economic impact
The price of gasoline, affected by the war, influences the price of groceries and everything else. This direct line between the war and affordability was a significant deciding factor in the midterms.
Democrats ready to impeach
Future House Speaker Hakeem Jeffries said he is into the idea of impeaching Hegseth. Many Democrats have been saying they want to impeach him if they take control of the House.
Crossing party lines
A number of Republicans are likely to cross the aisle and vote for impeachment. The vote may pass the House, though passing the Senate seems like a much bigger leap.
The legal question
While the policy of going into the Iran war may be problematic, there is not necessarily anything straight-up illegal in it.Impeachment grounds focus on whether the war went on longer than allowed without congressional authorization.
Pentagon exhaustion
There is exhaustion inside the Pentagon. Military officers say Hegseth is a participant in the war's problems, and there is discussion of whether the president got the information he should have received.
War's current state
The Strait of Hormuz remains under duress with vessels still getting hit and missile fire coming at many of them. The military says it cannot sustain this for weeks on end.
Three paths forward
Some tell the president to quit now and declare victory. Others say do a handful of things then declare victory. Still others say keep going. Congress pressure may now determine which argument wins.
What it means
Republican Rep. Thomas Massie introduced eight articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday, with House votes expected Wednesday, potentially making him the third Cabinet member in history to be impeached.
