Rep. Thomas Massie forcing vote on Pete Hegseth's impeachment

It's unclear whether the vote will succeed.

Outgoing Republican Rep. Thomas Massie seized the House floor for more than an hour Tuesday afternoon, launching a long-shot effort to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stemming from his controversial administration over the Pentagon, including the war in Iran.

After sending a news release announcing his intent to impeach Hegseth, Massie quickly appeared on the floor where he stood for more than 67 minutes reading the sweeping 34-page resolution with eight articles of impeachment aloud.

Rep Thomas Massie introduces a resolution to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in a speech on the floor of the House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, September 15, 2026.House TV via Reuters"Secretary Hegseth has acted in a manner contrary to his trust as Secretary of Defense and subversive of constitutional government, to the great prejudice of the cause of law and justice, and to the manifest injury of the people of the United States of America," Massie read from the resolution, contending that Hegseth will "remain a threat to civilians and the laws of war, the integrity of United States diplomacy, and the Constitution if allowed to remain in office, and has acted in a manner grossly incompatible with his duties and the rule of law."

"Peter Brian Hegseth thus warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust, or profit under the United States," the resolution states.

The Pentagon responded to Massie's move, defending Hegseth in a statement to ABC News.

"Secretary Hegseth has been a transformative leader for the Department of War," Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson said in the statement, later adding that the "entire Department is unified behind the Secretary’s vision and will continue working to put our warfighters and America first."

The articles of impeachment against Hegseth include ignoring laws that minimize civilian casualties, administering an "unlawful war" in Yemen, ordering extrajudicial killings, suppressing free speech and kidnapping a sovereign leader -- alluding to the U.S. capture of Nicolas Maduro early this year.

"Frankly, I was concerned that Mike Johnson would end Congress again, like shorten even our already truncated work period if he found out I was doing this. So I shared the idea with nobody," Massie said.

Massie, a conservative who has gained a reputation as a constitutionalist through his seven terms in the House, lost a primary earlier this summer after Trump endorsed his opponent.

It's unclear whether the vote will succeed, given Republicans' narrow majority in the House. Speaker Mike Johnson can lose two Republican votes before a third defection upsets the majority.

Unless GOP leaders change the floor schedule again, the House must hold a vote on the resolution within two-legislative days -- by Thursday, which would force Republicans to go on the record defending Hegseth ahead of the high-stakes midterm elections. GOP leaders could offer a motion to table the resolution or cancel the legislative session scheduled for Thursday to avoid the vote.

Rep. Thomas Massie speaks with a reporter after introducing a resolution to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Capitol Hill in Washington, September 15, 2026.Evan Vucci/ReutersSpeaking to reporters afterward, Massie explained that he introduced the articles of impeachment to place a "marker" in history on what he said was both President Donald Trump's and Hegseth's "illegal" conduct.

“Doing this wasn't predicated on whether it could succeed or not; there needs to be a marker in history,” Massie said. "The president has exceeded, and Secretary Hegseth specifically, in many ways himself, and sometimes directed by illegal orders from the president, they have exceeded all norms for rules of engagement for how you use or misuse our military, to take oil from another country, to kidnap a foreign leader, like somebody needs to put a marker in history, and that's what this is. Hopefully, it passes, and they can litigate this in the Senate.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attends an honor cordon welcome ceremony for German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius at the Pentagon in Washington, September 15, 2026.Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty ImagesMassie also told ABC News he had waited until Tuesday because it presents the last possible time to force consideration of a privileged resolution Congress before the midterms.

Massie added he felt he had exhausted all other legislative ways to stymie the war in Iran as well as other foreign military interventions.

"Why today? Because Speaker Johnson has basically canceled the rest of Congress until the elections," Massie explained. "Two days from now is the end of our session before we go on recess, and there can be a vote within two days. So I had to do it today."