Americans did not wait until January 2027, when the new Congress will assume its powers, to begin following hearings and impeachment attempts against those close to U.S. President Donald Trump. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is among the prominent figures likely to be targeted by Democrats in their hearings. Remarkably, however, the impeachment attempt against him came from the Republican side rather than the Democrats.
Republican Thomas Massie moved to bring a vote on impeachment charges against Hegseth in the House of Representatives. At the heart of the accusations is one issue: wars. Whether in Iran, Yemen, or Venezuela, Massie accused Hegseth's policies of amounting to “high crimes and misdemeanors.” He also accused him of “ignoring laws aimed at reducing civilian casualties.”
By executing “illegal orders,” Hegseth remains a “threat to the U.S. Constitution,” added the congressman, who will soon become a former representative.
Massie received harsh criticism from Trump, who called him a “loser.” However, being called a “loser” is less severe than being labeled a “moron,” as Trump did earlier this year.
Massie is a representative from Kentucky known for his isolationist policies. The far right of the MAGA movement blames the war in Iran for the setback Republicans faced in the recent midterm elections. Now, senior Democrats are meeting Massie halfway and declaring their support for his move. However, the Republican congressman’s motivation may be personal as well as political.
Trump supported Massie’s challenger in the Republican primaries last May, Ed Gallrein. The latter won the primary by about 10 percentage points and then secured his seat in the midterms by defeating Democratic challenger Melissa Strange by about 14 points.
Massie’s conflict with Trump is longstanding, dating back to 2020, when he opposed the stimulus package during the COVID-19 pandemic. It worsened over several issues and reached a near-final rupture in 2025 over the first war on Iran and his push to release the Jeffrey Epstein file, when he accused Trump of protecting his wealthy friends from scandal.
Although Massie tried to highlight Trump’s previous support for him in the spring, the rift with the Republican president was already irreversible. For this reason, Massie’s move against Hegseth may primarily be retaliation against Trump. Nevertheless, the choice of target was not incidental.
Hegseth can be considered a “soft spot” in the Republican administration. His problem was not merely the failure to execute the war in Iran. Democrats viewed Hegseth as unfit to serve as Secretary of Defense, whether because of his modest resume, alcohol addiction, an accusation of sexual assault, which he denied, or skepticism about women’s combat roles, along with his cancellation of “diversity” programs in the military.
Furthermore, there was the “Signal Scandal,” in which the administration used this insecure app to discuss the war against the Houthis, and a journalist was mistakenly invited to the meeting.
Therefore, Massie believes that targeting Hegseth specifically will gain Democratic support. It will serve them by sending an initial message to Trump that they are “coming,” starting early next year.
It is true that the Senate will decide on an impeachment issued by the House by a simple majority, but a two-thirds majority will be required to remove him, which the Democrats do not currently have and will not have in the new House unless they receive additional Republican support.
One could say that Trump expected it from his opponents, but it came from within, from those who were considered his own.
Even if Hegseth remains Secretary of Defense, Massie’s move is another indication of the beginning of a split within the MAGA movement. A beginning initiated by Vice President J.D. Vance when he blamed the war in Iran for the major loss in a post on X just hours after the results were announced.
It seems the Democrats’ joy will not stop after the elections.
