WASHINGTON – An anti-war Republican congressman introduced articles of impeachment on Sept. 15 against Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth over the Iran war, potentially causing a political headache for GOP leaders in Congress two months before the midterms.
Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, a noted political foe of President Donald Trump, launched the longshot effort to remove Hegseth with a speech on the House floor. He accused Hegseth, a former Fox News host, of betraying his oath of office and abusing his powers as a military leader.
Primarily, he accused Hegseth of violating the Constitution by continuing to oversee military operations in the Iran war without congressional approval.
"This abuse of office frustrated Congress' ability to exercise its most
solemn constitutional responsibility," Massie said.
Under the War Powers Resolution of 1973, Massie argued that the 60- to 90-day legal deadline for the U.S. military to withdraw forces from Iran would've been May 1 – or June 1 at the latest. The Trump administration's rationale for not getting legislative approval for the war has fluctuated as, officials have argued, the waxing and waning of hostilities has altered the timeline of their legal obligations.
Massie also criticized the U.S. military's actions in Venezuela, including the capture of the country's former president. And he accused Hegseth of undermining "effective journalist oversight" after shrinking the Pentagon press corps.
He took particular issue with a U.S. strike on an Iranian primary school that killed more than 100 children at the start of the Middle Eastern conflict. The strike "exposed systemic failures in the Department of Defense targeting process," he said.
The Pentagon has yet to release the findings of an investigation into the Feb. 28 airstrike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh school. At least 168 people died in the attack, most of them children, according to Iranian state media.In a statement to USA TODAY, Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson called Hegseth a "transformative leader."
"Standards and merit are back, our arsenal is stronger than ever before, and morale and recruitment across every service are at all-time highs," Wilson said. "By every measurable metric, the Department of War is better under President Trump and Secretary Hegseth’s leadership than before. The entire Department is unified behind the Secretary’s vision and will continue working to put our warfighters and America first."
Massie, one of the authors of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, lost his primary bid for reelection to Ed Gallrein, a candidate backed by Trump. Hegseth also supported Gallrein in the election and criticized Massie on the campaign trail. At a May 18 rally for Gallrein, Hegseth said Trump "does not need more people in Washington who are trying to make a point, especially from his own party."
“He needs people willing to help him win, to vote with him when it matters the most,” Hegseth added.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Republican launches impeachment effort against Pete Hegseth over Iran war
