Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is facing a bipartisan impeachment threat when Congress returns next week as Republicans seethe over their devastating losses in Tuesday’s midterm elections.
Bipartisan frustration over the war in Iran, quietly simmering for months, is now openly erupting after Democrats stunned the country with historic victories in the House and Senate. That anger could all now hit Hegseth, with several House Republicans telling Fox News Digital that they believe a resolution to impeach him could pass as early as next week.
“He’s screwed,” one House GOP lawmaker told Fox News Digital.
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., a longtime critic of foreign intervention by the U.S., told Fox News Digital he intends to force a vote on impeaching Hegseth when Congress returns if the Pentagon chief does not resign first.
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He’ll do so by filing a privileged resolution, a mechanism aimed at getting a vote on legislation despite opposition from the majority party’s leaders. Once a privileged resolution is filed, lawmakers have two legislative days to hold a vote.
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But the procedure notably carries two steps. Before a vote on the measure itself, leaders can call up a vote to “table” the bill or refer it to the relevant committee, which in both instances effectively kills it.
That procedural vote is normally where most privileged resolutions die. But in this case, several House Republicans told Fox News Digital they believe the impeachment resolution could ultimately be successful.
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“If he introduces it, it’ll pass,” a second House Republican told Fox News Digital. Two more said they expected the same.
One GOP lawmaker said attendance could be a key factor in impeaching Hegseth. It’s highly possible that many Republicans who lost re-election simply do not return for the final two months of the year, that person said. And with just a razor-thin majority, only a handful of absences would be enough for Hegseth to get impeached if all Democrats stuck together.
The Fox News Decision Desk projected Democrats taking the House shortly before midnight on Tuesday. Projections showed that the war in Iran, along with tariff policies, were key drivers in voters turning their backs on the GOP.
And while President Donald Trump told reporters he believes Hegseth is doing “a good job,” people in his circle appear to have their knives out.
“Hegseth is on the chopping block,” a former White House official told Fox News Digital.
A current White House official said, “[Tuesday] would have looked very different without the Iran war. I believe you’ll ultimately see [Trump] hold Pete Hegseth accountable and that will play out in the lame duck.”
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But the White House criticized the potential impeachment push on Thursday.
“As the President has said, he’s willing to work with anyone to continue delivering victories for hardworking Americans. If Democrats choose to pursue sham investigations and radical left policies, they are choosing to work against the American people,” White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis told Fox News Digital.
And another White House official said, “If crazed Democrats want to abuse their power and politicize their process of investigations, subpoenas, and destroying lives, they should be reminded that we still control the federal government and all of its powers.”
Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell on Wednesday dismissed rumors that Trump could get rid of Hegseth himself.
“Secretary Hegseth will not back down or be deterred by politicians seeking to score partisan points or launch phony investigations where no wrongdoing exists. The Department of War has followed the law and our Secretary will continue to stand and fight every single day to support and defend the Constitution, lead our troops, and protect America,” he told Fox News Digital.
It’s also worth noting that the majority of House Republicans will still oppose impeaching Hegseth — and many are still skeptical.
“I really doubt [it],” another House Republican told Fox News Digital. “Depends on if anyone wants to flip off the president walking out the door.”
There is likely to be healthy support on the other side of the aisle for such a push as well.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., who is poised to become the next speaker, has consistently criticized Hegseth. He posted on X Thursday morning, “Why is Pete Hegseth still around?”
Even more moderate Democrats have signaled their support, given the administration did not seek the consent of Congress at any point during the ordeal.
“I’ve said a long, long time ago that he’s not qualified for the job, and he should be removed, and I think we’re going to pursue that,” Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., who is expected to take over leadership of the House Armed Services Committee next year, told CNN’s “This Morning” last month.
If Hegseth were impeached, he would not be removed before a trial in the U.S. Senate.
Fox News Digital reached out to the committee’s Republican majority and the Pentagon for comment.