Republican Representative Thomas Massie is set to introduce a measure to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as soon as Monday.
The push for impeachment follows an election-night defeat for President Donald Trump’s Republican Party on November 3, 2026. Axios reported that House Republican leaders are bracing for enough GOP defections to pass the measure. Lawmakers who lost their seats have little left to lose and are increasingly willing to back the effort.
Massie posted the resolution outlining charges against Hegseth on social media ahead of the House opening at 12 p.m. on Monday, November 9, 2026. Bloomberg noted the floor vote could happen as early as Wednesday. According to Axios, Hegseth dismissed the move as a sham
led by a disgruntled, defeated congressman
in a video posted on X on Thursday, November 5, 2026.
Following the midterm elections, which saw Democrats secure majority control of both the House and Senate for the upcoming term beginning January 3, 2027, the outgoing Congress returned to Washington for a five-week lame-duck session. The political climate shifted dramatically after the vote, with the Republican caucus engaged in internal finger-pointing over the unpopular Iran conflict championed by Hegseth.
President Donald Trump defended Hegseth to reporters, stating that the defense secretary is guilty of two things, basically winning two wars. In the second war, we knocked out their nuclear capacity and probably saved Israel and probably saved the Middle East.
Scripps News reported Trump’s remarks following the midterm elections.
Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell issued a statement defending the administration’s record. Secretary Hegseth will not back down or be deterred by politicians seeking to score partisan points or launch phony investigations where no wrongdoing exists,
Parnell said. 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.
In subsequent interviews, President Trump maintained that he would make the same decision to go to war again to prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, asserting that the historic outcome would prove beneficial despite short-term costs.
Meanwhile, post-midterm structural changes at the White House brought Stephen Miller into the role of White House Chief of Staff, succeeding Susie Wiles. Reports noted that Miller maintains a closer working relationship with Hegseth than his predecessor did.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told ABC News on Sunday, November 8, 2026, that he is a hard yes on the resolution. Jeffries stated that The so-called Secretary of Defense has abused his power, undermined our national security, and engineered this reckless and costly war of choice in Iran.
Lawmakers return to Washington for a five-week lame-duck session that also includes funding the federal government before current appropriations run out. Spectrum News reported that House Speaker Mike Johnson aims to fit priorities into a short-term funding bill by December 11, 2026, to avert a government shutdown before the balance of power shifts in January 2027.
In addition to the impending Hegseth impeachment vote and federal funding negotiations, the congressional agenda includes addressing the expired Farm Bill and reauthorizing Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Across the Capitol, Senate Republicans scheduled closed-door leadership elections, with John Thune expected to retain his position as Republican leader despite the party shifting to the minority following Democratic milestone gains in states such as Kansas and Texas.
Earlier coverage: Democrats extend midterm gains as Hegseth resists impeachment push
