Massie files impeachment against Hegseth
The gist
Republican Rep. Thomas Massie filed eight impeachment articles against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the Iran war.
Massie, who lost his primary, plans to force a House vote as Congress returns.
How it unfolded
- Sep 15, 2026Massie introduced a resolution with eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth on the House floor, accusing him of violating the War Powers Resolution of 1973 in the Iran war, extrajudicial killings of suspected drug traffickers, and retaliation against Sen. Mark Kelly.
- Sep 2026Massie said Speaker Mike Johnson dismissed members a day early to avoid taking up the resolution, a claim Johnson denied; Massie's office said he must reintroduce it because the early dismissal interrupted the vote timeline. Massie had previously forced a vote on impeaching Hegseth, which failed.
- Nov 3, 2026Democrats flipped the U.S. House and Senate in the midterm elections.
Key terms
- impeachment articles
- The process by which a legislature brings charges against an official for serious misconduct, possibly leading to removal after trial.
- primary
- An election in which voters of a political party choose that party's candidate for an upcoming general election.
- lame duck session
- The time when an outgoing elected official, whose successor has already been chosen, still holds office with reduced influence.
Source: Wikipedia