Outgoing Rep. Thomas Massie says he will reintroduce impeachment articles against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after the midterms if the Pentagon chief remains, a bid Democrats already promise to finish.

Kentucky Republican Thomas Massie told a reporter he would refile articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth if Hegseth is still running the Pentagon when Congress returns to Washington after the November midterms.

Massie, already on his way out of Congress after losing his primary to a President Trump-backed challenger, put the condition in plain terms on social media. A reporter asked whether he would reintroduce the articles when lawmakers come back to Capitol Hill. His reply was short.

“If he’s still SecDef,” Massie wrote.

The threat lands as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries confirmed Democrats plan to force a vote on Hegseth’s impeachment next month and said they will run the Pentagon chief “out of town” if they take the majority. Senate Democrats have also floated Hegseth’s removal as the price of cooperation on defense bills in the lame-duck session.

Massie already forced an impeachment vote in September

Massie kicked off the impeachment process against Hegseth in September over the U.S. war against Iran. He alleged Hegseth initiated and conducted that war illegally, defied a congressional order to withdraw, and caused unnecessary civilian casualties, among other “high crimes and misdemeanors.”

Fox News reported that on Sept. 15, 2026, Massie formally introduced a resolution with eight articles of impeachment on the House floor. Articles 1, 3 charged violations of the War Powers Resolution of 1973 for waging war in Iran without a declaration, without authorization, and past congressional directives and the 60-day limit. Other articles covered strikes on suspected drug traffickers, the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, speech issues involving Sen. Mark Kelly, and operations in Yemen.

Massie stated his case in constitutional terms.

“In all of this, Secretary Hegseth abused the powers entrusted to him as Secretary of Defense by subordinating the constitutional limits on the use of military force and the laws governing the conduct of hostilities to his own policy objectives.”

He argued Hegseth “has demonstrated that he will remain a threat to civilians, the lawful conduct of United States military operations, the integrity and credibility of the United States Armed Forces and the Constitution, if allowed to remain in office,” and said the conduct “warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office and disqualification.”

That September push fits a broader pattern of pressure on cabinet officials, including when Democrats seized on removal talk as always on the table.

He kept GOP leaders in the dark

Just the News reported Massie hid the articles from party leaders until he read them on the House floor, saying he feared obstruction. Lawmakers tabled the motion the same evening.

Massie explained the secrecy to CNN’s Kaitlan Collins.

“I was afraid that they would do something to subvert me getting on the floor for an hour and 20 minutes and reading these articles.”

The Washington Examiner noted the filing accused Hegseth of executing an “unlawful order to impose hostilities” against Iran and also covered the Maduro arrest, strikes on drug boats that caused at least 221 deaths, the war in Yemen, civilian-casualty rules, and free-speech claims.

Massie has long criticized the Trump administration. Voters in his district already chose a different Republican. That record now sits beside a fresh promise to restart impeachment if Hegseth is still in place after Election Day.

White House and Justice Department defended Hegseth’s record

The administration did not treat the charges as settled fact. The New York Post reported that Attorney General Todd Blanche and the Pentagon defended Hegseth’s performance while the White House disputed the “war” label Massie used.

“Secretary Hegseth is doing a phenomenal job, and the secretary of war doesn’t just go off and do things. He follows the law,” Attorney General Todd Blanche said.

Massie’s resolution declared that Hegseth “has executed unlawful orders in contravention of Section 2(c) of the War Powers Resolution of 1973.” The Justice Department and Pentagon rejected that framing and stood by the secretary’s leadership.

Separate coverage has shown the building under other leadership strain, including when the Army secretary resigned amid a broader shake-up at the top of the department.

Democrats already promise to finish the job

Jeffries made the minority’s intent clear the same Monday Massie posted. If Democrats win the House, he said, they will run Hegseth “out of town.” Congress’s planned vote on impeachment after members return is described as the only formal mechanism available to remove the Pentagon chief.

Senate Democrats have tied Hegseth’s future to lame-duck defense cooperation. Some Republicans have voiced displeasure with his leadership, especially over the removal of respected military leaders, a split that could give Democrats openings if they press the issue.

Hegseth has also drawn fire in media fights, including when the Pentagon called a CNN report a “complete lie,” and he has backed hard lines from the White House on hostile outlets. Those clashes keep him in the political crosshairs even as the legal and constitutional claims remain contested.

House Democrats have shown they will use every available tool against Trump cabinet secretaries, including when they referred another secretary to the Justice Department over testimony disputes. Hegseth’s case fits that same pattern of maximum pressure.

A lame-duck threat meets a majority hunger

Massie’s latest statement does not create new articles on its own. It conditions a reintroduction on Hegseth still holding the job when Congress reconvenes after the midterms. Jeffries has already confirmed a vote is coming and tied removal to a Democratic House majority.

The September articles covered Iran operations past the War Powers clock, boat strikes, Maduro’s capture, Yemen, and speech-related claims. The White House called the conflict characterization wrong. Blanche said Hegseth follows the law and is doing a strong job. The House tabled Massie’s first try the night he read it.

Massie will leave Congress after his primary defeat. Democrats are advertising the same target if voters give them the gavel. Hegseth remains the man in the job, backed by the administration that put him there, while a departing critic and an eager minority both say the clock is running.

Voters will decide the House in November. Until then, a lame-duck impeachment vow and a Democratic removal pledge are aimed at the same Pentagon desk, and at the president who filled it.