Pete Hegseth faces bipartisan impeachment push after Republican losses in US midterm elections

The House of Representatives is expected to bring measures of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth this week after major Republican losses during the US midterm elections.

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky) is expected to introduce the bipartisan effort in a matter of days. House Republican sources told Axios that their reasoning behind supporting measures of impeachment ultimately has to do with how the defense chief handled the Iran war.

"Iran, Iran, Iran ... We should have never done the war before the midterms," one GOP lawmaker told Axios.

Another GOP member of Congress told Axios that Hegseth has been “very damaging to our ability to get the facts out to the American people on why the strikes targeting Iran's nuclear facilities, and the additional military actions, were necessary."

Several recent US reports have indicated that Republicans who lost in the midterms feel they have nothing to lose, and are looking to blame Hegseth because of his role in conducting the war in Iran.

While many Republicans do not appear to blame the war on Trump, and still appear to be unwilling to break from the administration, they may not have the same fealty towards Hegseth, CNN reported.

One Trump adviser said Hegseth "could be on the chopping block" because of the war. "Someone is going to get blamed for this, and you know it's not going to be him (Trump)," the adviser told Reuters.

Senator Thom Tillis (Republican- North Carolina) told CBS News on Tuesday night that Hegseth has "a reckoning" coming and his strained relationship with lawmakers was undermining the Trump ⁠administration's push ​for a $1.5 trillion defense spending package in Congress.

While the measure could get the votes to pass in the House, it remains unclear whether or not it would pass in the Senate.

Trump backs Hegseth amid bipartisan impeachment push

US President Donald Trump has continued to back Hegseth. When asked by reporters on Wednesday whether he was considering replacing Hegseth, Trump ‌said: "No, I think he's doing a very good job."

In light of the upcoming measures of impeachment, Hegseth lashed out at Massie and those bringing the articles of impeachment against him in a five-minute-long video on Thursday.

“A disgruntled, defeated congressman, along with all his Democrat allies, has also dropped sham articles of impeachment against yours truly, just like they tried against President Trump twice,” he said in a video released on X. “Just like the president, we don’t back down, and that especially applies now.”

"You see, their policies don't work. So their obsession with political theater disguised as power drives them to try to destroy their opponents. It's all about the politics of personal destruction."

In response, Massie wrote that the only way he will not introduce articles of impeachment against Hegseth is if the secretary resigns.

"Secretary Hegseth will not back down or be deterred by politicians seeking to score partisan points or launch phony investigations where no wrongdoing exists,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement to Axios.

“The Department of War has followed the law, and our Secretary will continue to stand and fight every single day to support and defend the Constitution, lead our troops, and protect America."

When did Hegseth last face impeachment?

Notably, Massie previously tried to impeach Hegseth in September for continuing the war in Iran without congressional approval. House Republican leadership delayed the floor vote on the measure and sent members home early.

While House Speaker Mike Johnson denied that he sent the lower chamber home early to avoid the impeachment vote, it still would have been challenging political optics before the midterms.

Massie, who lost his seat to MAGA-backed Ed Gallrein, noted that if his impeachment resolution does not pass, the incoming Democratic majority of Congress will plan much stricter measures.

“My Hegseth impeachment resolution is a much gentler version of what’s coming when Dems control Congress. They’ll have hearings & trials,” Massie wrote on X/Twitter.

During the midterms race, Democrats signaled plans to pursue Hegseth's removal if they gained control of Congress.

“One of the first things we’re going to do in the majority, we’re going to run Pete Hegseth out of town,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said at an October rally in Pennsylvania.