Massie says he will force a House impeachment vote on Hegseth; Pentagon says he will not back down

As of 7:11 a.m. ET, Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., told CNN he plans to trigger a House vote to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth when Congress returns next week. In a statement carried by CNN, chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said Hegseth "will not back down" and is "100% committed" to leading the department through the end of President Donald Trump's term.

How Massie says the vote would be forced

Massie read draft articles of impeachment aloud on the House floor in mid-September, Roll Call reported (John M. Donnelly). The draft has eight articles. They allege, among other things, War Powers Resolution violations in the Iran war and illegal actions in other military campaigns; nothing in those drafts has been adopted by the House.

In a late-October interview with Roll Call, Massie said he planned to give notice the week of Nov. 9 as a question of the privileges of the House. If the parliamentarian affirms that the resolution qualifies, the speaker would have up to two legislative days to schedule consideration. The House could then vote on the resolution or consider a motion to table it, Roll Call reported.

Massie lost his Republican primary and is leaving Congress after this session, Roll Call reported. On Wednesday he told CNN he still intends to force the vote when the House returns. Roll Call's late-October interview put that timing in the week of Nov. 9; CNN's Wednesday account framed it as when Congress returns next week. The draft articles remain drafts only — accusations in a resolution Massie says he will offer, not findings adopted by the House.

Pentagon response

Parnell said Hegseth "will not back down or be deterred by politicians seeking to score partisan points or launch phony investigations where no wrongdoing exists," according to CNN. "We will continue to drive President Trump's agenda at the Department of War — despite threats of sham witch hunts from Democrats — and Secretary Hegseth is 100% committed to leading the Department until the end of President Trump's term in office," Parnell said, CNN reported.

CNN also cited unnamed Republican sources on how a vote might go. Those expectations are not independently confirmed here and are not treated as fact.

A House impeachment vote, if it occurs, would still leave any Senate trial as a separate step. This story does not project a conviction, acquittal, resignation, or firing.