US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is facing a major political challenge regarding the war with Iran. A Republican congressman has introduced a motion to impeach him, alleging that Hegseth violated the law by engaging in a conflict with Iran for more than 90 days without congressional authorization.
On Monday afternoon (local time), during a session of the House of Representatives, Republican Congressman Thomas Massie formally introduced the impeachment motion against Hegseth. Massie has been a vocal critic of President Donald Trump’s military campaign against Iran since it began.
With the introduction of the motion, a 48-hour window has opened for the House of Representatives to consider it. During this period, members may choose to hold a direct vote on the motion, refer it to a committee, or dismiss it entirely.
However, the likelihood of the motion passing is considered very low. Impeaching and removing a cabinet member from office is an extremely rare occurrence. Furthermore, such a process would require approval from both chambers of Congress.
Currently, the Republican Party holds control of Congress.
Passing an impeachment motion in the House of Representatives requires a simple majority. Even if all Democratic members were to vote in favor, the motion would still require support from some Republicans, as the party’s majority in the House is very slim—Republicans currently hold 218 seats, compared to 214 for the Democrats.
In the Senate, a two-thirds majority—or 67 votes—would be required to convict an official and remove them from office. Given the current political landscape, securing such support would be extremely difficult.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has expressed his continued support for Hegseth. The Secretary of Defense himself has stated that he is not concerned about the potential impeachment.
Throughout US history, only two cabinet members have ever been impeached. Three presidents—Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton, and Donald Trump—have faced impeachment. Trump, in fact, was impeached twice. However, none of them were convicted by the Senate; consequently, none lost their office as a result of impeachment.
