Political bomb: The dramatic vote that could seal Pete Hegseth's fate

Republican Congressman Thomas Massie has filed an impeachment resolution against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, containing eight articles including waging illegal wars in Iran and Yemen, harming civilians, and kidnapping the president of Venezuela. The resolution must be brought to a vote by Thursday, placing Republican leadership in a political bind due to the narrow majority in the House.

Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, finishing his seventh term in the House, unexpectedly took the House floor on Tuesday afternoon and read for 67 minutes a 34-page document calling for the immediate dismissal of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The eight articles of impeachment include waging an illegal war in Yemen, military actions in the war against Iran without authorization, disregarding laws to minimize civilian harm, extrajudicial executions, suppressing free speech, using the military to take oil from a foreign country, and kidnapping Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Massie claims Hegseth acted on his own or followed illegal orders from the president. The resolution has special status requiring a vote within two days, i.e., by Thursday. The Republican majority in the House is so narrow that Speaker Mike Johnson can lose only two votes. The Pentagon responded by supporting the secretary, stating he is "a leader who is bringing deep change to the department." Massie explained that he waited until Tuesday to file the resolution because it was the last day to force a vote before the midterm election recess, and that he did not inform anyone of his intentions for fear the Speaker would shorten the session days.