AI-generated summary
Thomas Massie filed a resolution to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday. Massie has represented a constituency in northern Kentucky since 2012 and is considered a dissenter in his own faction. He lost the Republican primary in May to Trump-backed Ed Gallrein; his mandate ends in January. Massie was previously known for the dispute over the Epstein files and forced a vote with Ro Khanna in 2025 on the publication of Justice Department documents.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson has criticized the push for impeachment proceedings against his party colleague Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as shameful. It is a “political maneuver” with the aim of attracting attention.
“The idea of impeaching the Secretary of War in the middle of an international conflict sends a devastating message to our enemies and allies,” Johnson said. “And we won’t play in this game.”
Johnson said he had watched most of Hegseth's press conference during which he vigorously defended his leadership of the US armed forces. “I thought he did very well,” Johnson said.
US President Donald Trump also supported Defense Minister Hegseth after the push for his impeachment. On his platform Truth Social, the 80-year-old wrote on Tuesday, partly in capital letters, that Hegseth was getting the top grade of “A” with lots of plus signs “for his defense against a frustrated, angry, voted-out former congressman, Thomas Massie, a TOTAL FAILURE!”
In another post, Trump linked to a video of Hegseth's first press conference in months. Hegseth went on the offensive and described the impeachment proceedings brought against him by Massie as a “political spectacle”. The motion focuses primarily on the war against Iran, but also refers to Hegseth's role in military operations in Yemen and Venezuela.
On Monday, U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, also a Republican, filed a resolution calling for impeachment proceedings against Hegseth.
"Some of my colleagues claim that Defense Secretary Hegseth has worked effectively and that they support the war - that's why they want to vote against impeachment," Massie wrote on Platform
Thomas Massie has represented a northern Kentucky district in the House of Representatives since 2012. In his own group, he is considered a deviant: He was one of two Republicans who voted against Trump's major tax and spending law, the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” because it would increase the national debt. He also opposed military operations in Venezuela and Iran.
Massie became known primarily through the controversy over the Epstein files. Together with Democrat Ro Khanna, he introduced legislation in 2025 that would require the Justice Department to release its records on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Despite resistance from Trump and the Republican leadership around Johnson, Massie forced a vote with the signatures of 218 representatives. After Trump relented, the House of Representatives passed the law in November 2025.
Because the Ministry of Justice continues to withhold files, according to Massie and Khanna, the two now want to enforce a second law. The ministry denies the allegations.
In May, Massie lost the Republican primary to Trump-backed former Navy Seal officer Ed Gallrein. Hegseth campaigned for Gallrein in Kentucky. Massie's mandate ends in January.
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The House of Representatives will vote to impeach Hegseth.
Likely · Within weeks
Massie and Khanna will want to push through a second law on the publication of Epstein files.
Possible · Within months

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