WASHINGTON — Rep. Thomas Massie introduced articles of impeachment against Secretary of War Pete Hegseth Tuesday for waging the Iran war without congressional approval.
Massie (R-Ky.) made the surprise announcement on the House floor, accusing Hegseth of violating the War Powers Resolution of 1973, which requires congressional authorization to conduct military operations lasting longer than 90 days.
“Peter Brian Hegseth, in his capacity as Secretary of Defense has executed unlawful orders in contravention of Section 2(c) of the War Powers Resolution of 1973,” Massie declared.
Congressman Thomas Massie reads Articles of Impeachment against Pete Hegseth on the House floor. US House Clerk
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during a ceremony to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks at the Pentagon, Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, in Washington. AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta
“Secretary of Defense Peter Hegseth, by such conduct, has demonstrated that he will remain a threat to the Constitution if allowed to remain in office, and has acted in a manner grossly incompatible with his duties and the rule of law.”
Massie aims to force a House vote on the resolution later this week, though Republicans can vote to table it.
The lame-duck rep, 55, lost his primary election to a Trump-backed opponent in May and is reigniting the war powers debate seven weeks before the midterm elections.
Although Republicans control both chambers of Congress, the House and the Senate passed resolutions earlier this year calling on President Trump to end the Iran war, which began Feb. 28. The White House argues the conflict ended after an initial phase of fighting, resetting the 90-day clock.
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., speaks to reporters on the House steps after the last vote of the week in the Capitol on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026. CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Trump has sought to negotiate a deal with Iran that ends that country’s nuclear program and reopens the Strait of Hormuz.
Massie, a libertarian, has frequently bucked the White House, notably by forcing the release of the federal government’s Jeffrey Epstein files.
The Pentagon defended Hegseth’s performance, but did not directly address claims about the war’s legality.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth speaks during a ceremony commemorating the 25th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks in the courtyard of the Pentagon on Friday, September 11, 2026. Getty Images
“Secretary Hegseth has been a transformative leader for the Department of War. Standards and merit are back, our arsenal is stronger than ever before, and morale and recruitment across every service are at all-time highs,” Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson said in a statement.
“Secretary Hegseth has slashed bureaucracy, unleashed innovation, and delivered for our warfighters every step of the way. By every measurable metric, the Department of War is better under President Trump and Secretary Hegseth’s leadership than before. The entire Department is unified behind the Secretary’s vision and will continue working to put our warfighters and America first.”