The Kentucky Republican accuses Hegseth of violating the War Powers Resolution, overseeing extrajudicial killings, and retaliating against a U.S. senator, escalating a public fight over the Trump administration’s conduct of the Iran war.

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) on Tuesday filed eight articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, accusing him of violating the War Powers Resolution and committing other abuses of power tied to U.S. military operations.

The 34-page filing escalates an increasingly public dispute over the Trump administration’s conduct of the Iran war and congressional authority over military action. While the impeachment effort is unlikely to advance in the Republican-controlled House, it places renewed scrutiny on Hegseth as lawmakers debate another Iran war powers resolution and raises fresh questions about the administration’s legal justification for ongoing military operations.

Massie, a lame-duck Kentucky Republican who lost his primary to a Trump-backed challenger, alleges Hegseth unlawfully continued the war in Iran, ignored laws designed to minimize civilian casualties, oversaw extrajudicial killings, retaliated against a U.S. senator for protected speech and authorized military actions in Venezuela and Yemen without proper legal authority.

“Peter Brian Hegseth warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office,” Massie said on the House floor.

The Trump administration has maintained that the military campaign against Iran, which began in February, is lawful under President Donald Trump’s constitutional authority as commander in chief. The White House says the operation is necessary to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, protect U.S. forces and allies in the Middle East, and support Israel amid the ongoing conflict. Opponents, including Massie and other lawmakers, argue the war required explicit congressional authorization under the War Powers Resolution and dispute the administration’s claim that the “hostilities” triggering the law ended earlier this year.

In response to Massie’s impeachment articles, Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson told Newsweek via email: “Secretary Hegseth has been a transformative leader for the Department of War. Standards and merit are back, our arsenal is stronger than ever before, and morale and recruitment across every service are at all-time highs. Secretary Hegseth has slashed bureaucracy, unleashed innovation, and delivered for our warfighters every step of the way.”

Wilson continued: “By every measurable metric, the Department of War is better under President Trump and Secretary Hegseth’s leadership than before. The entire Department is unified behind the Secretary’s vision and will continue working to put our warfighters and America first.”

Newsweek has reached out to the White House via email on Tuesday afternoon for comment.

Massie’s impeachment effort comes as House lawmakers are again considering legislation aimed at ending U.S. military involvement in Iran, with members debating a new war powers resolution Tuesday that would direct President Trump to remove U.S. forces from the conflict. The Kentucky Republican has argued that Congress, not the executive branch, should decide whether the United States remains at war with Iran.

The Congressional Budget Office recently estimated the conflict had cost the Pentagon $38 billion, highlighting the significant financial consequences of a military campaign that some lawmakers contend lacks congressional authorization.

Attorney General Todd Blanche defended Hegseth and dismissed the premise of Massie’s allegations, saying Tuesday at a White House Rose Garden press conference that the defense secretary “is doing a phenomenal job” and follows the law rather than acting independently. Blanche said the Justice Department plays an active role in ensuring military actions comply with applicable legal requirements and rejected characterizations of the conflict as a “war,” noting that Congress has repeatedly voted on related questions. He argued those votes show that neither Hegseth nor President Trump is “doing anything wrong.”

Why Massie Says Hegseth Should Be Impeached

The eight articles of impeachment accuse Hegseth of repeatedly exceeding his legal authority in military and national security matters.

Articles I-III focus on the Iran war, alleging Hegseth violated multiple provisions of the War Powers Resolution by participating in and continuing military operations without congressional authorization and despite congressional efforts to end U.S. involvement.

Article IV accuses Hegseth of disregarding laws and policies intended to minimize civilian casualties during military operations.

Article V alleges unlawful killings in counternarcotics operations, claiming the Pentagon replaced traditional law-enforcement efforts with lethal military actions against suspected drug traffickers that resulted in hundreds of deaths.

Article VI accuses Hegseth of suppressing free speech by allegedly using Defense Department authority to retaliate against Senator Mark Kelly after Kelly criticized military actions and orders.

Article VII alleges Hegseth directed an unauthorized operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores, characterizing it as the unlawful seizure of foreign leaders.

Article VIII centers on U.S. military operations in Yemen, alleging Hegseth initiated and continued hostilities without congressional approval while also contributing to civilian casualties and attacks on protected persons and sites.

Hegseth’s First Impeachment Threat

In April, Democratic Representative Yassamin Ansari, an Iranian American, introduced articles of impeachment against Hegseth over the U.S. war in Iran. A dozen Democrats signed on as cosponsors of the six articles, three of which are “unauthorized war against Iran,” “abuse of power and politicization of the armed forces,” and “violations of the law of armed conflict and targeting of civilians.”

“Pete Hegseth broke his oath to the Constitution, put U.S. troops at grave risk through the unauthorized disclosure of classified information, engaged in abuse of office and conduct beneath the dignity of his office, and carried out unlawful military actions despite his obligation to refuse—including strikes on civilians and a girls’ school in Minab, Iran. Hegseth’s conduct meets the threshold of high crimes and misdemeanors and warrants immediate removal by Congress,” Ansari said in an announcement introducing the articles of impeachment.

The Democratic-led impeachment push did not move forward in the House and never reached a floor vote.