What happened
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) said he believes War Secretary Pete Hegseth is more likely to resign by the end of the year than remain in office and face hearings led by Democrats when the new Congress convenes in January.
Massie made the remarks during an interview with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, noting that President Donald Trump has continued to support Hegseth despite Massie introducing articles of impeachment against the war secretary on Monday.
Massie said he expects Democrats to take a much more aggressive approach once they assume control, describing his impeachment effort as “polite” by comparison. He said House hearings would bring in witnesses who served under Hegseth and could lead to a Senate trial.
The congressman also warned that replacing Hegseth would create a difficult confirmation challenge for Trump, since Democrats are unlikely to support a new nominee to lead the War Department.
Hegseth is scheduled to hold a press conference Tuesday morning at the Pentagon to address Massie’s impeachment effort.
Most of the eight articles Massie introduced focus on Hegseth’s actions in recent military operations in Iran, Yemen, and Venezuela without prior congressional authorization, arguing they violate the War Powers Resolution of 1973. The articles also allege that Hegseth’s push for “maximum lethality” and reductions to the civilian harm mitigation office contributed to unnecessary civilian deaths.
