WASHINGTON — Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky filed articles of impeachment Sept. 15 against Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth, alleging constitutional violations related to U.S. military operations in Iran. The move marks a rare intra-party challenge ahead of November’s midterm elections and underscores ongoing debates over congressional war powers and executive authority.
Massie, known for his antiwar stance and opposition to former President Donald Trump, accused Hegseth, a former Fox News host and Trump ally, of abusing his office by continuing to oversee military actions in Iran without explicit congressional approval. Citing the War Powers Resolution of 1973, Massie argued that the administration exceeded the legal timeframe — typically 60 to 90 days — to withdraw troops from conflict zones without formal authorization from Congress. According to Massie, this deadline for U.S. forces in Iran should have passed by early May or June at the latest.
At the center of Massie’s impeachment effort is a February 28 airstrike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh school in Iran, which resulted in the deaths of at least 168 people, primarily children, according to Iranian state media. Massie called the strike an example of “systemic failures” in the Pentagon’s targeting processes and criticized the lack of transparency after Pentagon officials declined to publicly release the results of an internal investigation into the incident.
In addition to Iran, Massie condemned U.S. military involvement in Venezuela, including the capture of the country’s former president, and criticized Hegseth for reducing the size of the Pentagon press corps, which he said hindered journalistic oversight of the Department of Defense.
Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson responded to the impeachment proceedings by praising Hegseth as a “transformative leader” who has revived military standards, improved morale, and strengthened recruitment across all service branches. Wilson stated that under Hegseth’s leadership, the Department of Defense is “better... than before” and fully committed to supporting the armed forces and advancing American interests.
Massie, a co-author of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, recently lost a primary election to Ed Gallrein, a candidate supported by Trump and endorsed by Hegseth. During the campaign, Hegseth publicly criticized Massie, arguing that the former congressman’s focus on “making a point” detracted from efforts to support Trump’s agenda. At a May rally for Gallrein, Hegseth urged Republicans to vote cohesively to help Trump “win” when it matters most.
The impeachment articles introduced by Massie are widely viewed as unlikely to advance in a Republican-controlled House, but they highlight dissent within the GOP regarding the conduct and oversight of ongoing U.S. military operations abroad.