Question marks hang over Pete Hegseth’s tenure as US defense secretary as Congress launches a fresh attempt to impeach him amid growing bipartisan calls for his resignation.
In Washington on Monday, local time, dissident Republican congressman Thomas Massie introduced eight articles of impeachment against Mr Hegseth, saying he had acted unlawfully in his role.
It starts a two-day clock for members to vote on whether to impeach the defense secretary.
Mr Massie has been among Mr Hegseth’s most ardent detractors on Capitol Hill, arguing his support of US military interventions in Iran, Venezuela and the Caribbean violated international law.
His articles of impeachment allege Mr Hegseth has committed “high crimes and misdemeanours” and “has demonstrated he will remain a threat to civilians” as well as the US military and the country’s constitution if he remains in office.
Thomas Massie has made it clear he wants a new defense secretary. (Reuters: Evelyn Hockstein)
The fact Mr Massie is spearheading the impeachment attempt despite being from Donald Trump’s Republican Party has enraged the president, who has repeatedly voiced support for Mr Hegseth.
At a press conference after the articles were introduced, Mr Trump called Mr Massie a “stone-cold loser” and said he would stand by Mr Hegseth even if the House impeached him.
“We won two wars, and we’ve made the world a lot safer place, and then we’re supposed to impeach?” Mr Trump said.
“Why haven’t we gone after all these other people that ran wars that lost?”
Mr Massie’s bid will have the support of Democrats, but there is growing speculation that disgruntled Republican representatives could also back it.
About 70 Republicans will leave the House at the end of this year.
Some are retiring or have won political office elsewhere, while others were defeated at last week’s midterm elections.
Analysts argue many people in this cohort will have nothing to lose and could back the bid to make a political point during their final weeks in office, even if the White House hates it.
US voters turned on the Republicans at the midterm elections and handed Democrats control of the House and the Senate from next year.
The Iran war, which Mr Hegseth is closely linked to, was particularly unpopular, not just because it is considered a drain on public funds, but because it has pushed up fuel prices.
Outgoing Nebraska Republican representative Don Bacon is among those who have said they may support Mr Massie’s motion.
“I’m not the only one that feels this way. There’s a bunch of us that have been talking about it,” he told CNN on Monday, local time.
Even if Mr Massie’s bid fails, the Democrats are expected to launch a fresh impeachment attempt when the new Congress begins in January.
When Mr Hegseth was asked about the efforts to impeach him on Monday, he told reporters: “We’re not worried about that.”
However, he has scheduled a rare press conference for Tuesday morning at the Pentagon where he will address the situation.
To impeach a president or cabinet secretary, a simple majority of House members must back the bid.
To remove them from office, a two-thirds majority of senators must then vote in favour.
Only two US cabinet secretaries have ever been impeached, and neither was removed from office.
Donald Trump has described efforts to impeach Pete Hegseth as “very unfair”. (Reuters: Eric Lee)
Outside Congress on Monday afternoon, Mr Massie told reporters he was “doing the right thing”.
“I don’t know if we have the votes,” he said.
“I suspect there are a few Republicans who want to put a bit of distance between themselves and this war.”
Mr Massie is keen for Mr Trump to replace Mr Hegseth before the new Congress convenes and the Republicans lose their majority.
House Minority leader Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat, said his party was supportive of Mr Massie’s motion and described Mr Hegseth as “the architect of the reckless and costly failed war of choice in Iran”.
Source: www.abc.net.au
