Pete Hegseth, US secretary of defense, during a Halloween event on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026. (Photographer: Samuel Corum/Sipa/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON - Rep. Thomas Massie moved Monday to force an impeachment vote against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, challenging House Republicans to unseat a top administration leader over recent military strikes in Iran, Yemen and Venezuela.
Hegseth Impeachment Resolution
What we know:
Massie, a Kentucky Republican, introduced the resolution targeting Hegseth over the objections of GOP leadership. The push comes after the economic impact of the Iran war contributed to GOP defeats in the midterm elections. Hegseth scheduled a news conference for Tuesday, his first briefing in over 180 days, after not holding one on the war, military actions or strikes against alleged drug-trafficking boats since May.
House Floor Timing
What we don't know:
GOP leaders have not revealed how they will handle the procedural maneuver or whether they have the votes to block the resolution. An exact schedule remains unannounced, though a full House vote could come as early as mid-week.
Naval War College Remarks
What they're saying:
Hegseth dismissed the resolution following an address at the Naval War College in Rhode Island.
"If you want to take issue with what we did in Epic Fury or Rough Rider or nabbing Nicolás Maduro, you're taking issue with the troops and what they accomplished, which is historic," Hegseth said.
"There's a lot of politically motivated people who may have substantial policy disagreements, but their disagreements are with success," he added. "If we want to litigate the military actions that the Trump administration has taken, I'm happy to do it all day long. My team, we're not worried about the noise — it's what I told the troops, too — don't worry about the noise."
Asked about Vice President JD Vance pointing to the Iran war for midterm election defeats, Hegseth said Trump would make the same decision again, adding, "I agree."
Secretary of State Marco Rubio also defended the strategy, telling reporters, "It doesn't have to be necessarily popular, but it can be necessary."
President Donald Trump defended the Pentagon leader Sunday night.
"He's guilty of two things, basically winning two wars," Trump said. "I believe we saved the Middle East and Israel combined. And it's awfully hard to say let's impeach somebody who did that."
Military Conflict Aftermath
The backstory:
The resolution highlights the military campaign against Iran, as well as strikes against Iranian-backed Houthi fighters targeting commercial ships in the Middle East and actions involving Venezuela's previous leaders. Hegseth argued the campaign was essential because "someone had to confront the Iranian regime's pursuit of a nuclear weapon" and "the choice was don't act and wish it away or take a bold move."
Iran has maintained its nuclear activities remain peaceful. Hegseth noted future decisions rest with Trump, stating the president could tell Iran, "Hey, we're done, and we're going to watch your nuclear material. You better not move it."
Voter Poll Data
By the numbers:
Roughly six in 10 voters said the nation made the "wrong decision" regarding military action against Iran, according to The AP Voter Poll of more than 100,000 voters.
Iran holds 440.9 kilograms, or 972 pounds, of uranium enriched to 60% purity, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. That level sits just below weapons-grade enrichment of 90%.
Before the war disrupted maritime transit, one-fifth of global oil moved through the Strait of Hormuz, where ongoing strikes on shipping and regional military bases have caused billions of dollars in damage and triggered spikes in consumer energy costs.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the Associated Press, which covered the resolution filing and statements from the Pentagon and lawmakers.