Republican Thomas Massie, who read the comprehensive bill consisting of eight articles of impeachment in the General Assembly of the House of Representatives, argued that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth should be dismissed.
Massie invoked "privileged status" under house rules that would require Republican leaders to submit the bill to the general assembly for a vote within 2 legislative days. However, parliamentary leaders can block the bill in question from being considered with privileged status with a simple majority vote.
'8 ARTICLES WERE PRESENTED FOR DISMISSAL'
Massie accused Hegseth of committing eight impeachable offenses, including starting wars without authorization from Congress, undermining the protection of civilians and carrying out extrajudicial executions. This move was called "pincer" by the US press.
The bill calls for Hegseth to be removed from office and stripped of his right to hold federal office in the future.
The eight-article impeachment text includes allegations about Hegseth's role in US military operations in Iran, Yemen and Venezuela, as well as his stance on military control, civilian casualties and freedom of expression.
THE FIRST THREE ARTICLES ARE RELATED TO THE IRAN WAR
The first three articles of impeachment accuse Hegseth of violating the 1973 War Powers Resolution by directing U.S. military operations against Iran without Congressional approval and continuing the conflict despite Congressional efforts to withdraw American forces.
The fourth article of impeachment accuses Hegseth of undermining security measures designed to prevent civilian casualties during military operations. In this context, the US attack on the Sherece-i Tayyibe Girls' Primary School in Minab, Iran, which caused the death of more than 150 civilians, including 120 children, is cited as an example.
The fifth article focuses on US military strikes against ships suspected of drug smuggling in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean.
In the sixth count, Hegseth is accused of retaliating against retired Navy commander and Senator Mark Kelly after he participated in a video reminding military personnel that they can refuse illegal orders and suppressing constitutionally protected free speech.
In the seventh article, it is stated that Hegseth directed an unauthorized military operation against a sovereign country regarding the operation in which Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was captured in January this year, and as a result, at least 83 people died and 7 Americans lost their lives.
In the last article of impeachment, Hegseth is accused of directing the "military operation" in Yemen, where more than 1,100 attacks were carried out for approximately 52 days in 2025.
FIRST ANSWER FROM HEGSETH
Hegseth made a statement for the first time after this request and said, "In response to Massie's attempt to get a vote in the House of Representatives to remove him from office, he rejected concerns about a possible impeachment attempt against him and said that he was not worried about this possibility.
"We are not worried about impeachment," Hegseth said. "We will hold a press conference on this issue tomorrow morning," he said.
Referring to attempts to remove him from office, Hegseth criticized those who demanded this, claiming that their objections were "politically motivated".
"There are a lot of people who are politically motivated, and they may have significant disagreements on policy, but those disagreements are relevant to our success," he said, arguing that his leadership at the Department of Defense has been a successful one.
IMPEACHMENT PROCESS IN CONGRESS
In the US political system, the impeachment process begins in the House of Representatives. Here, if the relevant article or articles are accepted, the main trial and decision process takes place in the Senate.
Accordingly, if a simple majority is achieved, the House of Representatives can accuse Hegseth of the charges made in the articles of impeachment.
In this case, the Senate, which will hold the trial on whether Hegseth is guilty or not, will consider and discuss the articles of impeachment in the sessions it will hold.
In order for Hegseth to be removed from office, a two-thirds majority, or 67 votes, must be reached in the Senate.
It does not seem possible to reach this number in the current Senate arithmetic against Hegseth, who has the support of US President Donald Trump and the Republicans.
