Massie Makes 'Stunning' Move to Impeach Hegseth

A Republican lawmaker is trying to boot the Pentagon chief over how the Iran war began and has been fought, NPR reports. Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky on Tuesday introduced impeachment articles against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, accusing him of launching the conflict without proper authorization, ignoring a congressional directive to exit, and causing avoidable civilian deaths. Massie, a frequent Trump critic who recently lost his primary to a Trump-backed challenger, is forcing House Republicans into a politically tricky vote before they leave town for an extended recess. Multiple outlets note this move will likely deepen his rift with his own party.

The White House argues the war was needed to block Iran from going nuclear, a claim many experts dispute. A Pentagon spokesperson called Hegseth a "transformative leader" and said the department is united behind him. Lawmakers must act on the measure by Thursday. Massie was also among those who voted "present" in a Tuesday vote to impeach President Trump, and CNN reports that Massie's "stunning" move came as a surprise hours before that vote; per Axios, he did not give GOP leaders a heads-up. Politico concedes the move will be "politically complicated" for Republicans, but still likely doomed to fail.