This Monday, November 9, Republican Congressman Thomas Massie activated a process to remove Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Among the arguments are "having started the war with Iran without the authorization of Congress", "illegal lethal attacks against drug trafficking suspects" and the "capture of Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores without legal permission." Donald Trump has emphasized his support for the Pentagon chief.

First modification: 11/10/2026 - 00:37

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"Well, he won two wars. I don't know how he can be removed," Donald Trump said this Monday, November 9, when defending the work of the head of the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth, amid impeachment attempts by US legislators in the House of Representatives.

The matter erupted after the mid-term elections in the United States on November 3, in which the Republican Party suffered a defeat against the Democrats. Trump himself and his vice president, J. D. Vance, attributed it precisely to the war in Iran, in which Hegseth has been in command.

Since those elections, analysts and sources close to the US Legislature had already pointed out that Pete Hegseth could face an avalanche of parliamentary investigations, from attacks against civilians in Iran or the leak of classified information, to the attack on ships of alleged drug traffickers in South America and suspicions of discrimination in military promotions.

Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat who is expected to become House majority leader, said Monday that the Senate should put Hegseth on trial.

"Hegseth waged this war illegally, in open defiance of the Constitution and the multiple war powers resolutions this Congress passed to end the fighting," he said.

These forecasts were confirmed this Monday, November 9, when Republican Congressman Thomas Massie activated the process to impeach Hegseth.

Among the points that defend his resolution against the head of the Pentagon is "having started the war with Iran without the authorization of Congress and without having presented to the Legislature an imminent threat that would justify military intervention", "illegal lethal attacks against drug trafficking suspects" and the "capture of Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores without legal permission" in Venezuela.

However, this resolution must first be admitted for processing in the House of Representatives and subsequently approved by its plenary session, before going to the Senate, which has the power to hold the impeachment trial.

Read alsoTrump sees "positive momentum toward ending the conflict" with Iran and rules out military action for now

A Democratic wish supported by Republicans

Republican Massie, addressing reporters, warned that his party leadership could try to avoid a direct vote on impeachment by trying to dismiss it through a procedural motion.

"They may try to avoid a vote on the merits of this. We should have a vote and a rigorous debate on these eight articles of impeachment," he said at a news conference.

The Democrats, big winners in the November 3 elections, in which they retained control of Congress, have been clear that they will seek the fall of Hegseth and may have no problem adding a good part of the Republicans to this crusade, exasperated by the war in Iran and the lack of transparency in the Pentagon.

"I'm here to tell you that one of the first things we will do once we have the majority is to oust Pete Hegseth," said opposition leader Hakeem Jeffries, who is running for House speaker.

According to congressional sources, the resolution could get the votes needed for passage even with President Donald Trump's Republicans controlling the House of Representatives until Democrats take control on Jan. 3. However, it appears unlikely to pass in the Senate, where a two-thirds majority is required and Republicans hold 53 of the 100 seats for now.

After the midterms, Trump had already reacted to these versions and ruled out that he is thinking about dismissing the Secretary of Defense, a possibility that was widely reported by the country's media a day after the Republican defeat in the elections.

Read also Who will pay for the Republican debacle in the United States?

The impact of the electoral defeat

House Speaker Mike Johnson opposed the move against Hegseth, saying impeachment "in the midst of foreign hostilities" would be "a terrible thing."

Voter outrage over the war and its economic impact on Americans helped Democrats gain control of Congress in the midterm elections, intensifying Republican divisions over a conflict that Vice President J.D. Vance has publicly questioned it and Hegseth has defended it as "brave and historic."

"President Trump's MAGA movement has also been divided over the wars in Iran and Gaza, as well as relations with Israel. These tensions can be expected to intensify during the final two years of Trump's presidency and extend into the 2028 campaign," predicts Professor Osamah Khalil, director of the International Relations Program at Syracuse University.

For his part, the Pentagon chief has waged a social media campaign, stating in a defiant video message last week that he would not give up. He also compared himself to Trump, who was impeached twice, saying, "It didn't work against President Trump and it won't work on me."

Asked whether he had enough Republican support to defeat the recall effort, Hegseth responded Monday: "We're not worried about that."

The defense leader is scheduled to hold a press conference for Tuesday, his first at the Pentagon since May.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is also the White House national security adviser, called the impeachment effort "unfair" and told reporters: "I think Pete has done a good job. I really do."

Trump, speaking to Reuters, praised Hegseth's performance in the war against Iran, which is in a stalemate, and in Venezuela, where the US Army deposed that country's president, Nicolás Maduro, in a surprise commando raid in January on his compound in the Venezuelan capital.

"Well, what about removing the people from Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq and all those countries, where we fought forever and nothing happened?" Trump asked.

Read alsoPressure on Pete Hegseth: will he be a possible victim of the midterm results?

Beyond Iran: disputes inside the Pentagon

The management of the Secretary of Defense at the head of the Pentagon is also a reason for disapproval, since he has carried out several dismissals of senior military officials, which has provoked criticism from members of the Army and the Republican Party.

For the moment, the President of the United States, Donald Trump, has publicly shown his support and confidence in the Secretary of Defense.

And Hegseth himself defended his management this Monday, which he described as a "success", and denounced that people with "political motivations" are seeking to undermine the achievements of "the troops" in Iran or Venezuela.

Read alsoWas it worth it? The war in Iran and the subtle Republican break with Trump after the fiasco in the midterms

With EFE and Reuters

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