Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed back Thursday against a renewed impeachment effort that could reach the House as soon as next week, portraying the campaign as an attempt to damage him politically. Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, said Wednesday that he intends to reintroduce impeachment articles once the chamber reconvenes. Lawmakers are due back in Washington on Monday.
In a social media video lasting more than five minutes, Hegseth criticized Massie and Democrats supporting his removal, comparing their effort with the two impeachments of President Donald Trump. He argued that attempts to undermine Trump had failed and expressed confidence that the campaign against him would also fail. His remarks included only a brief discussion of the Iran war, which has helped drive both the impeachment push and Republican losses in this week’s midterm elections.
Massie, who lost his Republican primary after breaking with Trump, called on the president Thursday to choose a replacement for Hegseth while Republicans still hold a Senate majority. Writing on X, he described his resolution as a gentler alternative to the hearings and trials he said would follow under Democratic control of Congress. A day earlier, he said Hegseth’s resignation was the only circumstance that would stop him from reintroducing the articles.
Democratic election victories have brought fresh calls from numerous party members for Hegseth’s departure. Among those expressing a desire to remove him is House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, who is positioned to become the next speaker.
Trump has publicly backed his defense secretary. On Wednesday, he said he had no plans to replace Hegseth. On Thursday, he praised Hegseth’s performance and suggested that opposition to him stemmed from decisions he had made, including the removal of military leaders.
Privately, however, Trump has discussed the possibility of replacing Hegseth with some allies and asked whom they would recommend as a successor, two people familiar with those conversations told NBC News this week. Trump has previously denied considering the dismissal of department heads shortly before removing them.
Massie sought to force an impeachment vote in September, but that attempt was impeded when House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, dismissed the chamber early. Passing the measure would require several Republicans to support it alongside every Democrat.
Only two Cabinet officials have been impeached by the House: Alejandro Mayorkas, who served as homeland security secretary under former President Joe Biden and was impeached in a partisan vote, and William Belknap, the secretary of war during the 1870s. The Senate has never convicted a Cabinet member.
