Hegseth faces removal vote on Nov. 9 as Massie files impeachment articles

Rep. Thomas Massie filed articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Nov. 9. The Kentucky Republican plans to force a House vote on the measure shortly after lawmakers return to session that day.

Massie, a Republican, accused Hegseth of abusing his office. He said the defense secretary executed an order for hostilities against Iran without approval from Congress. Massie has been a vocal critic of the war in Iran and American aid to Israel.

Democrats in the House are also moving to remove Hegseth from office. The party is laying the groundwork for its own impeachment push if it wins a stronger position in the upcoming midterm elections. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries signaled the intent at a rally in Pennsylvania earlier this month. "One of the first things we're going to do in the majority, we're going to run Pete Hegseth out of town," Jeffries said.

Other Democratic lawmakers have used similar language. Rep. Pramila Jayapal described Hegseth as "incompetent and, frankly, corrupt" during a CNN interview. Rep. Jared Huffman called him an "unhinged fanatic who should be impeached and removed from office."

The political pressure coincides with scrutiny of Hegseth's recent overseas travel. The defense secretary held a covert meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Israel's Ovda air base on Monday. The meeting took place days before the Israeli election. Two sources confirmed the visit to Walla on Tuesday.

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