Congressman Moves to Impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Over Iran War and Other Actions

A Republican congressman has initiated a motion to impeach US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, citing "high crimes and misdemeanours" during his tenure, notably the initiation of war against Iran without congressional approval. Representative Thomas Massie, known for his critical stance towards the Trump administration, introduced the impeachment proceedings as the House of Representatives reconvened following midterm elections where Republicans experienced significant losses, largely attributed to the unpopularity of the Iran war.

Mr. Massie's accusations against Mr. Hegseth include waging war without congressional authorization, conducting extrajudicial killings through strikes on alleged drug boats, disregarding laws aimed at minimizing civilian casualties (such as a strike on an Iranian school in Minab), and the unlawful kidnapping of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro. Eight articles of impeachment were detailed, with the first addressing the Iran war and the Trump administration's decision to bypass Congress before its commencement on February 28.

While US law grants presidents broad authority for limited military strikes under their commander-in-chief powers, Mr. Massie contends that the Iran campaign violated the 1973 War Powers Resolution, which outlines the conditions for introducing US forces into hostilities. Mr. Massie stated in the impeachment resolution that Mr. Hegseth "executed and implemented unlawful orders to initiate war against a foreign nation." This action follows a pattern where successive presidents have often contested the necessity of seeking congressional approval for military actions.

In response, Mr. Hegseth has launched a social media campaign, asserting in a video message that he would not yield. He drew parallels to President Trump's impeachments, stating, "It didn't work against President Trump, and it won't work with me." President Trump, however, publicly dismissed Mr. Massie, calling him "a stone-cold loser" and suggesting "something wrong" with him, questioning his focus on Mr. Hegseth and asserting that Hegseth "won the war." When asked about Republican support for the impeachment, Mr. Hegseth expressed confidence, stating, "We're not worried about that," and announced a press conference at the Pentagon.

Mr. Massie is set to leave Congress at the end of his term after losing a primary challenge, a result President Trump had reportedly desired due to Mr. Massie's criticisms regarding the Epstein files, support for Israel, and the Iran war. The article also details the Minab school strike, where Mr. Hegseth is accused of contributing to a "systematic deterioration" of checks on collateral damage and civilian casualties, allegedly resulting in the deaths or injuries of over 200 civilians at the Shajarah Tayyebeh Elementary School. The Pentagon has not officially claimed responsibility, and while an investigation is ongoing, a UN fact-finding mission suggested the US might have committed a war crime in the attack.

Mr. Massie criticized the strike, stating, "There's no fog of war on the first day. You've had months to identify these targets and pick them." He further elaborated, "Yet they picked a school building on a school day with school kids in it, and then struck it again, and then struck it again. That is the foreseeable and obvious and unfortunate consequence of something Pete Hegseth did himself at the Department of Defence." Mr. Hegseth has been a prominent defender of the Iran conflict, which has been linked to increased energy prices, global inflation, and Republican losses in the midterms. House Speaker Mike Johnson dismissed the impeachment effort as a "cheap trick." The motion, introduced before Democrats assume control of the House and Senate in January, faces an uncertain future, with potential passage in the House but unlikely success in the Senate.

Mr. Hegseth recently defended his tenure on X, labeling Mr. Massie a "disgruntled, defeated congressman" behind "sham articles of impeachment." His time in office has been marked by controversies including the Iran war, questionable strikes, the dismissal of officers, criticism of diversity initiatives, and the depletion of interceptor missiles. Mr. Hegseth's remarks in September about creating a department of "warriors" free from "fatties, trannies, beardos, weirdos, wimps, no radicals" have also drawn attention.