Rep. Thomas Massie is not going quietly. The Kentucky Republican, who lost his primary on May 19 and will leave Congress at the end of the year, reintroduced eight articles of impeachment against Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Monday and invoked House Rule IX to force a floor vote by Wednesday, November 11, 2026. The move came during a fiery Capitol Hill press conference in which Massie unloaded on Hegseth, President Donald Trump, and even Sen. Mitch McConnell, according to PJ Media.
Massie's effort is the latest chapter in a political career that voters in Kentucky's 4th District decisively ended earlier this year. His primary opponent, Ed Gallerin, went on to win the general election by 13 points — a result that undercuts any suggestion Massie retains a mandate. President Trump, speaking at a White House briefing, called Massie a 'stone cold loser' and questioned the timing of the impeachment push.
At issue are eight articles of impeachment that Massie says detail 'high crimes and misdemeanors' committed by Hegseth. But as PJ Media noted, nearly every charge describes actions Hegseth took either under orders from the Commander in Chief or with President Trump's approval. The chain of command runs directly from the President to the Secretary of Defense, and under 10 U.S. Code § 113, Hegseth operates strictly under the President's direction.
Massie did not respond to the central contradiction at the heart of his case: if the actions were directed by the President, why target the Secretary? PJ Media asked why Massie never filed articles of impeachment against James Mattis, Trump's first Secretary of Defense, during the campaign against ISIS in Iraq and Syria — a campaign that, according to Newsweek, saw civilian casualties reach an all-time high as the U.S. dropped 32,801 bombs over eight months. No such move was made against Mattis.
The articles also allege misconduct related to Iran, though Massie's own press conference appeared to acknowledge there are no U.S. forces in Iran — only forces stationed near Iran, where American troops have maintained a presence for years. The specific text of the eight articles has not been made public in full.
Social media posts from Massie's supporters and critics circulated widely Monday. One Instagram reel showed the congressman addressing backers after his primary defeat, while another post referenced the race call. The posts were not official statements from Massie's office.
The forced floor vote under House Rule IX means every member will go on the record by November 11. House Republican leadership has not indicated whether the chamber will take up the articles or move to table them. If the House were to approve the charges, the Senate would be required to hold a trial — a scenario that would consume the final weeks of the legislative session.
Massie's relationship with President Trump has been strained for years, and his decision to force the vote now, after his own constituents rejected him, has drawn sharp criticism from Republicans who see it as a parting gift to the Democrats. The White House did not immediately comment on whether the President would weigh in further.
Our Take
This is what a sore loser looks like in Washington. Thomas Massie lost his primary fair and square, and his constituents sent a clear message: they want a Republican who will fight for President Trump's agenda, not one who spends his final months in office throwing grenades at the administration from the floor of the House.
The impeachment articles against Pete Hegseth are a joke, and everyone knows it. Massie's own charges admit the Secretary was acting under orders from the Commander in Chief. If Massie believed there were high crimes, he should have filed against the man actually giving the orders. But he didn't — because he knows he can't touch President Trump directly. So he's taking aim at a cabinet secretary instead, hoping to create a spectacle and burnish his 'maverick' brand on his way out the door.
The timing tells you everything. Massie waited until after he lost. He waited until his district had already chosen Ed Gallerin, who went on to win by 13 points. This isn't a principled stand. It's a temper tantrum dressed up as constitutional duty.
House Republicans should table these articles the moment they hit the floor and get back to the people's business. The American people sent President Trump to Washington to secure the border, cut taxes, and restore American strength — not to referee a defeated congressman's ego trip. Every day spent on Massie's impeachment stunt is a day not spent on the agenda voters actually demanded.
Massie's seat was already lost. Now he's trying to lose what's left of his reputation. Republicans in the House should not help him do it.
