House Heads Toward a Vote on Impeaching Pete Hegseth as Republicans Break Ranks After the Midterms
The House returns on Monday, November 9, and Rep. Thomas Massie plans to force a vote on eight articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Several Republicans say it could pass after the midterm rout — but impeachment would not remove him on its own. Here is what the vote would and would not do.
The House of Representatives returns on Monday, November 9, and the first big test of the post-midterm Congress could be a vote on impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky plans to file his eight-article impeachment resolution as a privileged question when members return, which would give House leaders up to two legislative days to hold a vote.
Hegseth has not been impeached. No impeachment resolution against him has been adopted by the House. What is happening this week is an attempt to force a vote — and after last week's election result, several House Republicans are telling reporters they expect it could pass.
What is Massie accusing Hegseth of?
Massie first read his 34-page, eight-article resolution on the House floor on September 15, 2026. Three of the articles challenge the conduct of the Iran war under the War Powers Resolution of 1973, saying Hegseth waged war without congressional approval and continued hostilities past the law's 60-day limit. The other articles cover lethal strikes on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, the operation that captured Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro, strikes in Yemen, and retaliation against Senator Mark Kelly.
Massie has said he will drop the effort if Hegseth resigns first. Hegseth has given no sign of doing that: in a defiant video on November 5 he said he was not going anywhere, and President Trump has said Hegseth is doing "a very good job."
Why the midterm result changed the math
When Massie first tried this in September, House leaders cancelled the week's remaining votes and sent members home until November 9, pushing the question past the election. Then Democrats won control of both the House and the Senate in the 2026 midterms, and the politics shifted. Several House Republicans told Fox News Digital they expect the measure to pass, one saying "If he introduces it, it'll pass." Multiple Republican sources told CNN the same. Others still doubt it, and absences among members who lost their seats could decide a narrow vote.
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries had already promised before the election that a Democratic majority would "run Pete Hegseth out of town" — though the new Democratic majority is not seated until January, so this week's vote, if it happens, will be taken by the outgoing House.
What impeachment would — and would not — do
If the House votes to impeach, Hegseth would not automatically lose his job. Removal requires a trial in the Senate and a two-thirds vote to convict — a bar described as hard to reach even after Democrats take control in January. The House has impeached a Cabinet member only twice before: War Secretary William Belknap in 1876 and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in 2024. The Senate acquitted Belknap and dismissed the Mayorkas charges without a trial.
The House could also vote on a motion to table the articles instead of voting on the articles themselves. Either way, the vote — or the decision to avoid one — will be the clearest signal yet of how much support Hegseth still has inside his own party after the midterms.
What to watch this week
Watch whether the parliamentarian agrees Massie's resolution qualifies as a privileged question, whether Speaker Mike Johnson schedules a vote or a motion to table within the two legislative days, and how many Republicans break ranks. Also watch the White House: Trump wants Hegseth to fight, according to White House insiders, and the Pentagon has said Hegseth "will not back down or be deterred by politicians." A separate thread to follow is the Trump–Dana White press secretary story, which is part of the same post-midterm shake-up in Washington.
Frequently Asked Questions
Has Pete Hegseth been impeached?
No. As of November 9, 2026, no impeachment resolution against him has been adopted by the House. Rep. Thomas Massie plans to force a vote this week.
When could the House vote?
Massie plans to file the resolution as a privileged question when the House returns the week of November 9. House leaders would then have up to two legislative days to schedule a vote.
Would impeachment remove Hegseth from office?
Not by itself. Removal would require a Senate trial and a two-thirds vote to convict.
What are the eight articles about?
They centre on the Iran war and the War Powers Resolution, plus strikes on suspected drug boats, the operation that captured Nicolas Maduro, strikes in Yemen, and retaliation against Senator Mark Kelly.
References
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