Massie aims to fire Hegseth week after midterms

House Republican Thomas Massie is targeting November 9 for a vote to remove Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth from office. The date falls the week after the midterm elections, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.

Massie filed articles of impeachment in September. He accused Hegseth of abusing his office by ordering hostilities against Iran without congressional approval. Massie, a vocal critic of the war on Iran and American aid to Israel, said he intends to force the vote once the House returns to session.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries signaled Democratic support for the effort at a rally in Pennsylvania earlier this month. He stated that running Hegseth out of town would be among the first actions of a new majority. Other Democratic lawmakers have used similar language. Rep. Pramila Jayapal called the secretary incompetent and corrupt during a CNN interview. Rep. Jared Huffman described him as an unhinged fanatic who should be impeached.

The push for impeachment coincides with scrutiny over Hegseth’s recent trip to Israel. The defense secretary met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Ovda air base on Monday. The meeting took place days before Israel’s election. Two sources confirmed the details to the news outlet Walla on Tuesday.

Hegseth confirmed the visit occurred but declined to elaborate on the conversation. KAN News reported that Iran was the main topic of discussion. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz reportedly attended the meeting. IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and other senior officials were not invited for confidentiality reasons.

The House is scheduled to return to session on November 9. Massie plans to bring the impeachment vote to the floor at that time. Democrats are preparing for the possibility of holding the majority after the elections.