Pete Hegseth, the U.S. Defence Secretary, calls himself the Secretary of War, part of his effort to rebrand \u200ca military he said was too weak and \u201cwoke\u201d when he took office last year. Now, with \u200ba House impeachment vote expected this week, he could soon share something in common with an \u2060actual secretary of war.<\/p>\n
William Belknap, who held that title in 1876, became the first, and to date only, civilian leader of the U.S. military to be impeached by Congress.<\/p>\n
U.S. Representative Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, introduced articles of impeachment on Monday (November 9, 2026), setting off a two-day \u200cclock for an expected House vote on charges including waging war against Iran without congressional approval and other abuses of power.<\/p>\n
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<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nCongressional sources say the resolution may have the simple majority needed to pass the Republican-controlled \u200cHouse before Democrats take over on January 3. Conviction appears unlikely in the Senate, however, where a two-thirds \u200cmajority \u2060is required and Republicans hold 53 of 100 seats.<\/p>\n
House Speaker Mike Johnson opposed the effort, saying impeachment \u201cin \u2060the middle of hostilities abroad\u201d would be \u201ca terrible thing for our allies and our enemies to see.\u201d<\/p>\n
Voter anger over the war helped Democrats win control of Congress in last week\u2019s midterm elections, intensifying Republican divisions over a conflict that Vice-President J.D. Vance has publicly questioned and Mr. Hegseth has \u200bdefended as \u201ccourageous and historic.\u201d<\/p>\n
Accused of taking huge kickbacks, \u200cBelknap handed President Ulysses Grant his resignation ahead of his scheduled impeachment vote and, according to a Senate history, \u201cburst into tears.\u201d The House impeached him anyway, but the Senate later acquitted him after falling short of the required two-thirds majority.<\/p>\n
By contrast, Mr. Hegseth is promising to stay and fight.<\/p>\n
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<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nHegseth defiant<\/h4>\n
Mr. Hegseth has mounted a social media campaign, saying \u200cin a defiant video message last week that he would not back down. He also drew a \u200bcomparison to President Donald Trump, who was impeached twice, saying: \u201cIt didn\u2019t work against President Trump, and it won\u2019t work with me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked if he had enough Republican support to defeat the impeachment push, Mr. Hegseth \u2060said on Monday (November 9, 2026): \u201cWe\u2019re not worried about that.\u201d He announced a Tuesday (November 10, 2026) press conference, his first at the Pentagon since May.<\/p>\n
Mr. Trump has backed Mr. Hegseth and condemned the impeachment push in an interview with CBS<\/i>\u2019s \u201c60 Minutes\u201d broadcast on Sunday (November 8, 2026).<\/p>\n
\u201cThey want to impeach him. \u200cVery unfair. We had two wars, we won both,\u201d Mr. Trump said, according to a CBS<\/i> transcript of the full interview.<\/p>\n
Mr. Trump referred to both the Iran war, which is at an impasse, and to Venezuela, where the U.S. military deposed that country\u2019s president, Nicol\u00e1s Maduro, in a surprise January commando raid on his compound in the Venezuelan capital.<\/p>\n
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<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nDefence spending at risk?<\/h4>\n
Some Republican lawmakers have expressed concern that if Mr. Hegseth stays, his strained relationship with Congress will undermine the Trump administration\u2019s push for a $1.5 trillion defence spending package.<\/p>\n
Mr. Massie, a Trump critic who is leaving office in January, warned in a statement on Monday (November 9, 2026) \u200cthat impeachment would be \u201cmuch gentler\u201d than what\u2019s in store for Mr. Hegseth once Democrats take control in January.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey will hold hearings and trials. President \u200bTrump should replace Secretary Hegseth now while he can still get a replacement confirmed in the Senate,\u201d Mr. Massie said.<\/p>\n
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<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nDemocrats have promised to investigate Mr. Hegseth over issues including the firing of the chairman of the \u2060Joint Chiefs of Staff and other senior leaders.<\/p>\n
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said on Sunday (November 8, 2026) he was a \u201chard yes\u201d on a \u2060measure to impeach Mr. Hegseth.<\/p>\n
Mr. Massie\u2019s articles of impeachment accuse Mr. Hegseth of \u201chigh crimes and misdemeanours\u201d ranging from waging the Iran war to various alleged abuses of power, including violating the free speech rights of U.S. Senator Mark \u200cKelly, an Arizona Democrat.<\/p>\n
Last year, Mr. Hegseth sought to prosecute Mr. Kelly after he and five other Democrats in Congress with backgrounds in the military and intelligence urged U.S. troops to refuse illegal orders. Mr. Hegseth accused them of sedition, something \u200bMr. Trump at the time said in a social media post was \u201cpunishable by DEATH!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n