The US House of Representatives is expected to vote this week on impeaching Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, with Republican leaders bracing for enough members of their own party to support the measure for it to pass, US media reported Sunday. The vote is being forced by Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who accuses Hegseth of defying Congress and illegally continuing the war against Iran.
Even if the resolution passes, Hegseth is unlikely to lose his job, since removing him from office would require a two-thirds majority in the Senate. His position has nevertheless become increasingly precarious within the administration itself, where some senior officials are pushing for his dismissal.
The immediate target of frustrated Republicans
Hegseth, 46, a former National Guard officer who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, was a Fox News host before President Donald Trump selected him for the position. His nomination was controversial from the outset, including among Republicans. Three Republican senators voted against his confirmation, forcing the party to rely on Vice President JD Vance to cast the tie-breaking vote.
Since taking office, Hegseth has become one of the administration's most controversial senior figures. He is considered one of the architects of the war against Iran, which was a major factor in the Republicans' election defeat. According to Axios, many on Capitol Hill see him as the face of the war, making him a prime target for frustrated Republicans.
The political landscape has shifted dramatically since the election. According to Axios, the crushing defeat fueled anger within the Republican conference and increased the number of House members willing to back impeachment, particularly those who lost their seats and now have little left to lose.
Retiring Republican Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska said Hegseth did not have "a lot of love" on Capitol Hill, although Bacon himself had not decided how he would vote. "Iran, Iran, Iran ... We should have never done the war before the midterms," one Republican lawmaker told Axios. Another Republican House member blamed Hegseth personally, telling Axios that his tone and rhetoric had been "very damaging" to the party's ability to explain to Americans why the war was necessary.
Criticism of Hegseth's rhetoric is nothing new. During Pentagon briefings since the outbreak of the war, he has boasted, among other things, of "death and destruction from the sky all day long."
Criticism of the war, and the perception that it was an electoral failure, among other things, extends to the president's inner circle. Vice President Vance wrote, "The reason we lost is the war." The president's son, Donald Trump Jr., shared the post and said he agreed with every word.
Massie, who initiated the impeachment effort, is one of Trump's most prominent Republican opponents and one of Israel's fiercest critics in Congress. He lost his Republican primary in May after the president personally spearheaded a campaign to oust him. Over the years, Massie has faced accusations of antisemitic rhetoric. "I would have come out sooner, but I had to call my opponent and concede, and it took a while to find Ed Gallrein in Tel Aviv," Massie said after his primary defeat, referring to the candidate who had beaten him.
Democrats back impeachment
Democrats have already lined up behind the effort. "I'm a hard yes on the Hegseth resolution," House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries declared Sunday.
"The so-called Secretary of Defense has abused his power, undermined our national security and engineered this reckless and costly war of choice in Iran, which has skyrocketed prices on the American people and made the country less safe. Pete Hegseth has got to go," he said.
Nearly all House Democrats are expected to support impeachment, leaving the resolution's fate dependent on the number of Republicans who break ranks.
For now, Hegseth continues to enjoy Trump's public backing. "I have every intention to keep him," the president said Thursday. In an interview with CBS' "60 Minutes," scheduled to air in full Sunday night, Trump also said he had confidence in Hegseth.
But Trump acknowledged receiving calls from people unhappy with his defense secretary and conceded that confirming a replacement would be easier now, while Republicans still control the Senate.
The new Senate, in which Democrats will hold at least 54 seats, is set to take office on Jan. 3. From that point onward, any nominee for the position will need Democratic support.
A series of controversial decisions
Since taking office, Hegseth has spearheaded a series of controversial initiatives. He led the effort to rename the Department of Defense the Department of War, declared war on "woke" culture in the military and established a requirement that everyone serving in combat roles meet the "highest male standard." He also ordered testosterone screening for male service members aged 30 and older.
At the same time, Hegseth promoted a sweeping overhaul of military procurement that was welcomed even by Democratic lawmakers, and ordered a 20% reduction in the number of senior military officers.
During his tenure, numerous generals and admirals have been dismissed or forced out, including Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, who was removed in the middle of the war. One of the officers who left, Vice Adm. Nancy Lacore, was elected to the House of Representatives as a Democrat in the midterm elections.
Another source of controversy has been the US military strikes against suspected drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean, which have killed at least 235 people since September 2025.
DeSantis? His sights may be set on the presidency
According to CBS News, outgoing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has been floated as a possible replacement who could still be confirmed by the outgoing Republican-controlled Senate.
CBS News reported last week that outgoing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was among the names being considered to replace Hegseth. Under the scenario discussed, DeSantis would be confirmed by the outgoing Senate and take over at the Pentagon after his gubernatorial term ends on Jan. 5. His name previously surfaced in December 2024, when Hegseth's confirmation appeared to be in jeopardy.
DeSantis' office has not responded to the reports, and according to a source quoted by The Hill, he has no interest in the position.
Meanwhile, DeSantis has been openly criticizing the war. On Wednesday, he agreed with Vance that it had been a major factor in the Republican defeat, which he described as nearly an "extinction-level event" for the party. He compared the Iran war to the conflict in Iraq, describing both as open-ended military engagements.
DeSantis also criticized Republicans who tried to blame former President Joe Biden for high gasoline prices. "If you can't admit that to voters, then you're gaslighting them, and they're not gonna listen to you on other things," he said.
Many political commentators believe DeSantis is instead preparing to seek the Republican presidential nomination in 2028. The fact that he was not part of the Trump administration, combined with Florida's remaining firmly Republican in the midterm elections, has strengthened his political standing.
