Hegseth impeachment: What is he accused of, and could he be removed?

Eight articles brought by a Republican lawmaker accuse the Pentagon chief of waging unlawful wars on Iran and Venezuela. US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is facing possible impeachment after Republican Congressman Thomas Massie introduced a resolution to remove him from office.

On Monday, Massie took the floor of the House of Representatives to accuse Hegseth of carrying out unlawful orders and contravening the United States Constitution by waging war against Iran and Venezuela, as well as systematically failing to protect civilians. Top Democrats say they will support the resolution, while Hegseth has struck a defiant tone and has the backing of US President Donald Trump.

The US Constitution gives the House of Representatives “the sole Power of Impeachment”, meaning it alone can choose to initiate impeachment proceedings against senior officials, including cabinet members. If a majority of the House votes to impeach a cabinet member, the Senate then gets to decide by majority whether to acquit or to convict and remove them.