Republican Rep. Thomas Massie moves to force impeachment vote on Defense Secretary Hegseth
The gist
Republican Rep. Thomas Massie plans to reintroduce eight articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Democrats' midterm wins put a Hegseth impeachment vote in play.
How it unfolded
- Apr 15, 2026Rep. John Larson and Democratic colleagues file articles of impeachment against Hegseth.
- Sep 15, 2026Republican Rep. Thomas Massie introduces articles of impeachment as a privileged resolution, citing Hegseth's management of the Iran war and stewardship of the Pentagon.
- Sep 17, 2026Hegseth avoids an impeachment vote after Speaker Mike Johnson calls an early recess, canceling votes scheduled for Thursday.
Key terms
- articles of impeachment
- The process by which a legislature brings charges against an official for serious misconduct, possibly leading to removal after trial.
- privileged resolution
- A legislative motion that, due to its special status, can bypass normal scheduling and be brought to a vote quickly.
- midterms
- US general elections held near the midpoint of a president's four-year term, when all House seats and about a third of Senate seats are contested.
Source: Wikipedia