Hegseth vows to fight on as bipartisan impeachment talk grows

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is vowing to stay in his job as a bipartisan impeachment push gains momentum on Capitol Hill. In a video post, Hegseth dismissed articles of impeachment planned by Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, calling them "sham" and predicting they would fail ¹.

"Didn't work against President Trump, and it won't work with me. You can rest assured of that," Hegseth said ¹. He accused Massie of "political theater disguised as power" and said the effort is "all about the politics of personal destruction" ¹.

On tapeKGW News · Nov 5

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Massie told Fox News Digital he intends to force a vote on impeaching Hegseth when Congress returns next week if Hegseth does not resign first ². He would do so through a privileged resolution, a procedural move that requires a vote within two legislative days ². Massie introduced eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth months earlier ¹.

Several House Republicans told Fox News Digital they believe the resolution could pass. One House Republican said it would pass if Massie introduces it ². Another lawmaker said simply, "He's screwed" ². One Republican noted that absences by members who lost re-election could matter with a thin majority ².

From Channel GOPImpeachment vote: Why Republicans avoided the issueHakeem Jeffries · 1.4K plays · captioned, with the source named

The push follows sweeping Republican losses in Tuesday's midterm elections. Frustration over the war in Iran and rising prices tied to the conflict are widely blamed inside the party for the defeats ¹². Vice President JD Vance laid out reasons for the losses that included ending the war with Iran and focusing on the cost of living ¹.

President Donald Trump said Thursday that Hegseth is doing a "fantastic job" ¹. But a current White House official told Fox News Digital that Trump would ultimately hold Hegseth accountable and that it would play out in the lame duck ². A former White House official said Hegseth is on the chopping block ².

Democrats are signaling support. Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado said Hegseth is "undermining our national security and the safety of our troops" ¹. Rep. James Walkinshaw of Virginia wrote, "When the House votes on impeachment, I'm voting to impeach him" ¹. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries posted, "Why is Pete Hegseth still around?" ².

Republican Sen. Thom Tillis told CBS News that Hegseth faces a reckoning ¹. Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said Hegseth will not back down or be deterred by politicians seeking to score partisan points ².

Even if the House impeaches Hegseth, removal would require a two-thirds majority in the Senate, a much higher bar ¹. Hegseth also called for the Defense Department to be funded through a $350 billion reconciliation bill ¹.

That matters because the fight over Hegseth's future comes as the Iran war and its costs remain central to the political fallout from the midterms. With Congress returning next week, the impeachment resolution could force Republicans to choose between defending the Pentagon chief and distancing themselves from an unpopular war ¹².

The Record

1. Nov 3, 2026Democrats win historic victories in the House and Senate, with the Iran war and prices blamed by many Republicans ¹².
2. Nov 4, 2026Massie tells CNN he plans to trigger a vote on impeaching Hegseth next week when Congress returns ¹.
3. Nov 5, 2026Hegseth calls the impeachment articles 'sham' and says they won't succeed ¹.

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<h2>Hegseth vows to fight on as bipartisan impeachment talk grows</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files National Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/hegseth-vows-to-fight-on-as-bipartisan-impeachment-talk-grows">The GOP Files</a> on Thursday, November 5, 2026.</em></p> <p>Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is vowing to stay in his job as a bipartisan impeachment push gains momentum on Capitol Hill. In a video post, Hegseth dismissed articles of impeachment planned by Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, calling them &quot;sham&quot; and predicting they would fail .</p> <p>&quot;Didn&#39;t work against President Trump, and it won&#39;t work with me. You can rest assured of that,&quot; Hegseth said . He accused Massie of &quot;political theater disguised as power&quot; and said the effort is &quot;all about the politics of personal destruction&quot; .</p> <p>Massie told Fox News Digital he intends to force a vote on impeaching Hegseth when Congress returns next week if Hegseth does not resign first . He would do so through a privileged resolution, a procedural move that requires a vote within two legislative days . Massie introduced eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth months earlier .</p> <p>Several House Republicans told Fox News Digital they believe the resolution could pass. One House Republican said it would pass if Massie introduces it . Another lawmaker said simply, &quot;He&#39;s screwed&quot; . One Republican noted that absences by members who lost re-election could matter with a thin majority .</p> <p>The push follows sweeping Republican losses in Tuesday&#39;s midterm elections. Frustration over the war in Iran and rising prices tied to the conflict are widely blamed inside the party for the defeats . Vice President JD Vance laid out reasons for the losses that included ending the war with Iran and focusing on the cost of living .</p> <p>President Donald Trump said Thursday that Hegseth is doing a &quot;fantastic job&quot; . But a current White House official told Fox News Digital that Trump would ultimately hold Hegseth accountable and that it would play out in the lame duck . A former White House official said Hegseth is on the chopping block .</p> <p>Democrats are signaling support. Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado said Hegseth is &quot;undermining our national security and the safety of our troops&quot; . Rep. James Walkinshaw of Virginia wrote, &quot;When the House votes on impeachment, I&#39;m voting to impeach him&quot; . House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries posted, &quot;Why is Pete Hegseth still around?&quot; .</p> <p>Republican Sen. Thom Tillis told CBS News that Hegseth faces a reckoning . Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said Hegseth will not back down or be deterred by politicians seeking to score partisan points .</p> <p>Even if the House impeaches Hegseth, removal would require a two-thirds majority in the Senate, a much higher bar . Hegseth also called for the Defense Department to be funded through a $350 billion reconciliation bill .</p> <p>That matters because the fight over Hegseth&#39;s future comes as the Iran war and its costs remain central to the political fallout from the midterms. With Congress returning next week, the impeachment resolution could force Republicans to choose between defending the Pentagon chief and distancing themselves from an unpopular war .</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/hegseth-vows-to-fight-on-as-bipartisan-impeachment-talk-grows">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/hegseth-vows-to-fight-on-as-bipartisan-impeachment-talk-grows.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. Newsweek, “Pete Hegseth Responds to 'Sham' Impeachment Push” (2026-11-05). newsweek.com/pete-hegseth-responds-to-sham-impeachment-push-
2. Fox News, “Pete Hegseth faces bipartisan impeachment threat after midterm losses | Fox News” (2026-11-05). foxnews.com/politics/hegseth-faces-bipartisan-impeachment-th

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