Republican Representative Thomas Massie has filed eight articles of impeachment against US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, putting his military decisions before a House that has yet to vote. The articles range from the Iran war to operations elsewhere, but even a House vote to advance them would not itself remove Hegseth: conviction would require a two-thirds majority in the Senate.

What the articles allege

Massie filed the resolution on November 9, using a procedure that requires the House to take it up within two legislative days. He had proposed impeaching Hegseth in September; the latest filing sets out eight articles.

The first three accuse Hegseth of starting the conflict with Iran without congressional approval, violating the 1973 War Powers Resolution and disregarding withdrawal demands from both chambers. Other articles address operations in Yemen and Venezuela, a strike on a boat suspected of carrying drugs in the Caribbean, and alleged retaliation against Senator Mark Kelly. Massie said Hegseth’s decisions threatened the Constitution and the military’s reputation.

Those are allegations, not findings by the House or a court. The articles have been filed, but the House has yet to vote on them, and the Senate has not convicted Hegseth.

Hegseth and Trump reject the effort

At his first Pentagon news conference since May, on November 10, Hegseth said the impeachment effort would fail. He called it unpatriotic and said it gave US adversaries a propaganda advantage.

Hegseth defended the Iran operations, saying he supported them and would carry them out again. He described the war as necessary to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, while saying lessons from the conflict would be applied. Vice-President JD Vance had identified the war as a major reason Republicans lost the midterm elections, according to Hegseth’s account of Vance’s remarks.

President Donald Trump backed Hegseth after the news conference and said he would continue to support him even if the House approved the resolution. Trump also cited operations in Iran and Venezuela, saying Hegseth had won two wars.

The vote is only the first hurdle

House Speaker Mike Johnson and Secretary of State Marco Rubio oppose impeachment. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries supports it, while Senator Chuck Schumer has called for Hegseth to face a Senate trial.

If the House approves at least one article by a majority vote, the case moves to the Senate. Conviction and removal require two-thirds of senators present. Republicans currently hold 53 of the Senate’s 100 seats, and The Hill judged a conviction very unlikely. Tien Phong, citing congressional sources, reported that the resolution might have enough support to pass the House.

Republicans still control the House, but Democrats are due to take over on January 3, 2027. Some Republican lawmakers worry that Hegseth’s strained relationship with Congress could complicate the administration’s proposed $1.5 trillion defense spending package. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released on November 10 found that a majority of respondents wanted the incoming Democratic-controlled Congress to act to end the war with Iran. Democrats have also said they will investigate Hegseth and his Pentagon leadership if he remains in office next year.