Republican lawmaker seeks impeachment vote against US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth
Thomas Massie has accused Hegseth of exceeding congressional authority over military force and disregarding civilian protections.
Republican US Representative Thomas Massie has read articles of impeachment against Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, seeking to force a vote in the House of Representatives.
Massie alleges Hegseth waged war without congressional approval, carried out extrajudicial killings and showed disregard for civilian casualties during military operations. The claims have not been established as fact in the supplied material.
The resolution could receive a vote in the coming days, although no vote has been confirmed. It faces long odds in the Republican-majority House and is considered unlikely to pass.
The Pentagon has said it remains unified behind Hegseth. Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson said the department would continue working to put “warfighters and America first”.
Hegseth has faced criticism over remarks dismissing rules of engagement intended to minimise civilian casualties and ensure compliance with the laws of war. Massie has also been a prominent Republican critic of the Trump administration’s military intervention in Iran and broader overseas interventions.
President Donald Trump has previously criticised Massie, who lost a May primary election to a Trump-backed challenger.
