‘Knives out’: Will Congress impeach Pete Hegseth after GOP midterms loss?

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that the Republican Party’s losses in the US midterm elections have intensified pressure on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, with critics inside and outside Congress blaming him for promoting the war on Iran. The article says some Republicans now see Hegseth as a likely target for political accountability, even as President Donald Trump publicly defended him on Wednesday and said he was not considering a replacement.

A key development is a push by Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who has filed impeachment articles against Hegseth and says he plans to force a vote when Congress returns. Al Jazeera notes that Massie has accused Hegseth of constitutional violations tied to war powers, pressure on critics and other actions, while also describing him as a longtime Trump critic. Other Republican lawmakers, including Sen. Thom Tillis, were quoted as saying Hegseth could face a reckoning in the lame-duck Congress.

The article explains that impeachment in the House would require only a simple majority, but removal would still depend on a two-thirds Senate vote, making success difficult without substantial Republican support. Al Jazeera says Democrats would have a stronger hand once the new Congress convenes in January, though the Senate hurdle would remain. The piece frames the fight as part of a larger intra-Republican dispute over the Iran war, Trump’s foreign-policy direction, and the political fallout from a costly conflict.