With eight articles of impeachment, and the charge that he is waging war against Iran without congressional approval, Thomas Massie has launched proceedings to impeach Pete Hegseth. The Republican congressman from Kentucky also accused the U.S. Secretary of Defense of abusing his powers as head of the Pentagon. The move had been in the making, and it remains to be seen whether the Axios report from Sunday, November 8, in which a source stated that there may be a sufficient number of Republican lawmakers to remove him from office, holds true. Hegseth himself told reporters that Iran has suffered a “devastating blow” and is in “the weakest position it has been in for a very long time,” shortly before the impeachment initiative became public. The Secretary of Defense also emphasized that Donald Trump makes the decisions, regardless of whatever course of action he chooses to pursue.
Read more: Axios: Hegseth under fire over Iran war — Republican rebellion scenarios in the House open the door to a possible impeachment trial
Hegseth: Trump makes the call
Pete Hegseth also noted that one possible scenario could be the U.S. President sending a message to Tehran that American military operations are concluding, with Washington monitoring Iran’s nuclear material and warning the Iranian side not to move it. He stressed, however, that the final decision on the course of military operations rests exclusively with Donald Trump. He further argued that the U.S. Department of Defense stands ready to provide the American president with all the resources he may need, regardless of the choice he makes. By moving to impeach the Secretary of Defense, Thomas Massie becomes the first direct challenger to the legality of U.S. military involvement in Iran and the powers being exercised by the Defense Secretary.
