House to vote on Hegseth impeachment articles this week

Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, filed eight articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday.

Massie has been a vocal critic of President Trump and is scheduled to leave Congress at the end of this year. He previously filed similar charges earlier in the year. The new filing focuses on the administration's military operations in the Middle East.

The first article of impeachment asserts that the war in Iran is illegal. Massie argued that the conflict began without a formal declaration of war, specific legal authorization, a direct attack on the United States, or an imminent threat. The U.S. Constitution grants Congress the power to declare war, though the last formal declaration occurred during World War II. The War Powers Resolution requires the president to notify Congress within two days of using military force. It also mandates that such use of force must end within 60 days if no prior notification was given.

Beyond Iran, the articles allege unlawful extrajudicial executions related to strikes on drug-running vessels. They also cite the capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro as the seizure of a sovereign foreign leader. A fourth charge details an illegal war in Yemen.

House leadership plans to vote on these articles later this week. Hegseth is scheduled to hold a press conference at the Pentagon on Tuesday morning to address the move. When asked on Monday if he had enough Republican support to survive the vote, Hegseth stated that the matter was not a concern. He said, 'No nos preocupa eso,' and added that he would reserve further comments for the press conference. He told reporters to come prepared with questions.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a Democrat from New York, announced on Sunday that his support for removing Hegseth is 'total and absolute.' Jeffries criticized the secretary for abusing power and undermining national security. He described the conflict in Iran as a 'rash and costly' war of choice that has raised prices for American consumers and reduced the country's safety.