Republican launches impeachment against US defense chief Pete Hegseth
WASHINGTON -
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Republican → launch → Hegseth
A Republican lawmaker moved on Nov 9 to impeach US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the war in Iran, setting up a potentially explosive vote in Congress just days after President Donald Trump’s party suffered a crushing midterm defeat.
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party → move → defeat
Kentucky congressman Thomas Massie introduced eight articles of impeachment accusing Hegseth of illegally waging war without congressional authorisation and abusing his powers as Pentagon chief.
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Massie → introduce → chief
The Republican-controlled House could vote as early as Nov 11, with some lawmakers from Trump’s party signalling that they might join Democrats in supporting the charges.
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they → control → charges
Impeachment would be a humiliating blow for Hegseth and the Trump administration, but would not automatically remove him from office.
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Impeachment → remove → office
That would require a trial and conviction by a two-thirds majority in the Senate – a far higher hurdle, even after Democrats take control of the chamber in January.
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Democrats → require → January
The impeachment push has gathered momentum since the Nov 3 midterm elections, when Democrats swept both chambers of Congress amid widespread anger over the Iran war and soaring fuel prices.
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Democrats → gather → war
Republicans retain control of Congress until the newly elected lawmakers take office on Jan 3, but their overwhelming defeat has fuelled recriminations and weakened party discipline.
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defeat → retain → discipline
Some Republican lawmakers who lost their seats could also skip votes, potentially making it easier for the impeachment measure to pass.
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measure → lose → votes
‘Hard yes’
Massie, an outspoken critic of Trump who lost his own primary to a candidate backed by the president, is using a special congressional procedure to force the House to consider his resolution within two legislative days.
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who → lose → days
Republican leaders could still seek to block the measure through a procedural vote.
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leaders → seek → vote
The articles accuse Hegseth of violating the 1973 War Powers Resolution, which limits the president’s ability to engage US forces in hostilities without congressional approval.
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which → accuse → approval
They also allege misconduct involving civilian casualties and military operations in Yemen and Venezuela.
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They → allege → Yemen
The Pentagon has rejected the accusations.
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Pentagon → reject → accusations
Democratic House leader Hakeem Jeffries, who is expected to become speaker in January, threw his weight behind impeachment on Nov 8.
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who → expect → Nov
“I’m a hard yes on the Hegseth resolution,” Jeffries told ABC News.
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Jeffries → ’m → News
“The so-called secretary of defense has abused his power, undermined our national security and engineered this reckless and costly war of choice in Iran,” he said.
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he → call → Iran
“Pete Hegseth has got to go.”
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Hegseth → get → ?
Several Republicans have expressed dissatisfaction with Hegseth’s leadership without committing to impeaching him.
Arkansas congressman French Hill said on Nov 8 he wanted to hear the debate before deciding whether the accusations justified impeachment.
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accusations → express → impeachment
Unlikely removal
Under the US Constitution, the House can impeach a senior government official by a simple majority vote, effectively bringing formal charges of serious misconduct.
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House → impeach → misconduct
The Senate then decides whether to convict and remove the official from office, requiring support from two-thirds of senators present.
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Senate → decide → senators
Even with their enlarged majority in 2027, Democrats would need substantial Republican backing to reach that threshold.
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Democrats → enlarge → threshold
Only two Cabinet secretaries – almost 150 years apart – have been impeached in US history, and neither was removed by the Senate.
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neither → impeach → Senate
Hegseth has dismissed Massie’s impeachment effort as a “sham,” calling the congressman “disgruntled” and accusing his opponents of pursuing political destruction.
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Hegseth → dismiss → destruction
The Pentagon announced a rare press briefing by Hegseth scheduled for Nov 10.
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Pentagon → announce → Nov
Trump has publicly stood by his embattled defense chief, declaring last week: “I have every intention to keep him.”
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I → stand → him
But the president’s weakened political position after the midterms has left Hegseth facing the prospect of an impeachment battle that could extend well beyond this week’s House vote.
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that → leave → vote
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