With Democrats about to take over Congress, the Pentagon chief is already on the defensive. He made clear he does not plan to step aside quietly.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth pushed back Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, against a growing Hegseth impeachment push in Congress, calling it political theater and defending the war with Iran as a historic effort by the Trump administration.
What did Hegseth say about impeachment?
In a video posted on X, Hegseth said an angry, defeated congressman and his Democratic allies were pursuing sham articles of impeachment against him. He compared the effort to the two impeachments of President Donald Trump.
He said Democrats turn to political theater because their policies do not work and called the effort the politics of personal destruction. He said it did not work against Trump and will not work against him.
Hegseth pointed to his record at the department, including ending diversity programs, changing military leadership and working to rebuild the defense industry. He said the military operation against Iran was necessary to make sure Tehran never gets nuclear weapons. Supporters have credited his reforms with boosting military recruitment.
Who is behind the Hegseth impeachment push?
The congressman Hegseth referred to is Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, according to reports. Massie introduced eight articles of impeachment in September, accusing Hegseth of carrying out military operations against Iran without approval from Congress. The articles include three counts tied to the War Powers Resolution of 1973.
On Thursday, Massie said he would reintroduce the articles, reviving the Hegseth impeachment push, unless Hegseth resigns. He has been one of the few Republicans to openly criticize the war.
House Democrats led by Rep. Yassamin Ansari of Arizona filed six separate articles in April, accusing Hegseth of waging an unauthorized war, causing civilian casualties and mishandling sensitive military information. Their articles included accusations tied to a strike that hit a girls’ school in Iran, which they described as a war crime.
Could the Hegseth impeachment effort succeed?
Democrats won control of both the House and the Senate in the midterm elections, giving them the votes to impeach in the House starting in January. Removal from office would require a conviction by at least 67 senators, a much higher bar.
Some Democratic leaders have signaled they may target Hegseth, though the party has not decided whether to pursue a Hegseth impeachment vote. Leaders have also pledged to use their oversight power to investigate the war.
The top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, expected to become its chairman, has said he is inclined to support proceedings, according to reports.
How has Trump responded?
President Donald Trump said a day earlier that he has no plans to replace Hegseth and that he is doing a very good job. Trump also said Hegseth would be popular if appointed to fill Marsha Blackburn’s Senate seat in Tennessee.
Trump acknowledged that the war with Iran played a role in Republican losses on Election Day. High fuel prices tied to the conflict weighed on voters.
What comes next in the Hegseth impeachment fight?
The new Congress takes office in January. Until then, Republicans control the House, making any Hegseth impeachment vote before the new year unlikely to succeed.
Supporters of Hegseth say he has strengthened the military and taken on an entrenched bureaucracy, while critics argue he has overstepped his authority and ignored the role of Congress in decisions about war.
The Hegseth impeachment debate is likely to become one of the first major tests of how Democrats use their new power in Washington. Both parties will be watching closely as the new session begins.
