Massie Fire Hegseth Call: Trump Urged to Act First

The massie fire hegseth push escalated Thursday as Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky said President Donald Trump should remove Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth before Congress impeaches him.

Massie, who introduced eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth in September, has led the House Republican effort to oust the Pentagon chief.

Eight Articles of Impeachment

Massie’s impeachment resolution charges Hegseth with “high crimes and misdemeanors” over the administration’s war in Iran, the Pentagon’s boat strikes against suspected drug traffickers in the Caribbean, and alleged retaliation against Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona.

Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican who voted to confirm Hegseth, has backed the impeachment effort, saying the defense secretary needs to go — whether by impeachment or by Trump replacing him outright.

House Speaker Mike Johnson adjourned the House early after the resolution was introduced, sidestepping a floor vote on impeachment until after the November 3 midterms.

Trump Reportedly Weighs Post-Midterm Firing

The call comes amid reports that Trump himself is considering firing Hegseth after the midterms, seeking to distance himself from the increasingly unpopular Iran war. Massie pointed to the precedent of President George W. Bush firing Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld the day after Republicans lost the 2006 midterms over the Iraq war.

Hegseth drew fresh bipartisan criticism this month after announcing the Pentagon would livestream the December 3 firing-squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan — a plan Trump later rejected, and one Vice President J.D. Vance said he would not watch.

Polling has shown majority support for Hegseth’s impeachment, including among a sizable share of Republicans, as the Iran war drags on with no end in sight.

Source: The Hill