War Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday dismissed a renewed effort to impeach him as “sham articles of impeachment” and asked Congress to pass a reconciliation bill with at least $350 billion for the military, in a video message posted on X.
“A disgruntled, defeated congressman along with all his Democrat allies has also dropped sham articles of impeachment against yours truly, just like they tried against President Trump twice,” Hegseth said, according to a transcript published by ANI.
“It’s all about the politics of personal destruction,” he said. “Didn’t work against President Trump, and it won’t work with me. You can rest assured of that.”
At the War Department: We Stand. We Fight. We Defend the Republic. https://t.co/Kkr0DazmCE
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) November 5, 2026
Who is behind the push
Hegseth did not name the congressman, but reports identified him as Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who introduced eight articles of impeachment in September. The articles accuse Hegseth of violating Congress’s war powers in the Iran conflict, LifeZette and Fox News reported.
Massie wrote on X on Nov. 4: “There is one contingency in which I won’t reintroduce the articles of impeachment: Hegseth resigns.” He plans to force a vote when the House returns, LifeZette reported. Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Mich., has introduced a separate impeachment measure backed by other Democrats.
The House has not voted on either effort. Even if the House impeached him, removal would require a two-thirds vote to convict in the Senate.
The $350 billion request
Hegseth used the same video to press Congress for money. “The Department of War must be funded to meet the moment right now,” he said. “That includes a generational investment, a reconciliation bill of at least $350 billion, to keep this department, our country, way ahead in a dangerous world. We need every vote from every patriotic member of Congress.”
He defended the Iran campaign. “When we say that Iran will not have a nuclear weapon, we actually mean it, and we will do the hard work to ensure it under the leadership of President Trump,” he said. He also defended his overhaul of the Pentagon, including ending DEI programs, replacing military leaders and rebuilding recruiting, Fox News reported.
He closed with a message to service members: “To the troops: Don’t blink. Ignore the noise. Never hesitate.”
The President’s backing
President Trump said Hegseth had done a “fantastic job” and that he had “every intention” of keeping him in the Cabinet, ANI reported.
Democrats have joined the criticism. Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., called Hegseth “incompetent” and said his leadership puts troops at risk, ANI reported.
The bottom line
Impeachment is meant for high crimes and misdemeanors. Massie and the Democrats are using it to fight over the Iran war, a policy disagreement Congress can settle with its own votes on funding and war powers. Massie’s own post makes the point: he says he will not reintroduce the articles if Hegseth resigns, which shows the goal is to push him out of the job.
Hegseth’s request deserves a straight answer from Congress. The country is in an active conflict with a regime that mines shipping lanes, and the military’s needs do not pause for the next House majority.
Republicans still control both chambers until January. They should pass the defense reconciliation bill before the new Congress is sworn in and leave the impeachment articles where they belong, in committee.