USA after the midterms | “Minister of War” in his sights

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth Photo: AFP/JIM WATSON Washington.  Once again, a motion for the impeachment of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been submitted in the US Parliament - by a colleague of the Republican's party. Congressman Thomas Massie, who had already submitted such a request in September, justified the move with Hegseth's official actions in connection with the Iran war and other military operations. Despite the massive criticism, President Donald Trump stood behind his controversial minister, whom opponents accused of a lack of expertise and devastating misjudgments.

Massie, who has fallen out with Trump and is known as an internal party critic of the president, accuses Hegseth in his application, among other things, of unlawful warfare against Iran. He also ignored laws aimed at preventing civilian casualties.

The MP also criticizes the killing of alleged drug smugglers in the Caribbean and the Eastern Pacific, for which international experts believe there is no legal basis. The US military's regional command responsible for these areas has attacked dozens of suspected smuggling boats from the air since Trump took office and Hegseth was sworn in, killing hundreds of people.

Hegseth, self-proclaimed “Minister of War,” announced a press conference for this Tuesday. According to media reports, it would be his first at the Pentagon since May. It was initially unclear what the minister would talk about and whether he would comment on the current impeachment proceedings.

Like Massie's last initiative, the current proposal is likely to have a more symbolic character: Until the new Congress meets at the beginning of next year, the Republicans will continue to have the majority in the House of Representatives and the Senate. It is unlikely, although not entirely impossible given the strong criticism of Hegseth, that impeachment proceedings will be successful. After their electoral triumph in the midterms, the Democrats will not take over the majority in both chambers of parliament until the beginning of 2027.

Since the Iran war and its consequences are seen as the main cause of the Republicans' disastrous performance in the midterms, more MPs could support the process this time than in the previous attempt. As a result of the ongoing conflict, which remains unresolved, the cost of living for Americans has risen significantly - even though Trump once promised them massive financial relief.

According to media reports, the House of Representatives now has to vote on the initiative within two days of sitting - i.e. by Wednesday at the latest. The reason for this is that Massie submitted his application with increased urgency, as he did in September. An exact voting date is not yet known. A simple majority is required for the motion to pass.

If a majority of members of the House of Representatives vote in favor of impeachment proceedings, at least two-thirds of senators would also have to vote in favor of it in order to get it started. At that point at the latest, the proposal is likely to fail due to the current political balance of power, as the Republicans still have a narrow majority of 53 of the 100 seats in the Senate.

And even then, as president, Trump would still have the opportunity to veto the move. It is difficult to imagine that Congress would then get the necessary two-thirds majority in both houses of parliament to override this veto.

Even before the ultimately unsuccessful impeachment proceedings in September, dissatisfaction with Hegseth had spread in parliament. His aggressive rhetoric, questionable public appearances and vassal loyalty to President Trump offend many MPs.

In mid-April, Democratic Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari pushed for impeachment, arguing that the Republican had "put U.S. troops in grave danger through the unauthorized disclosure of classified information, abused his office and behaved unworthy of his office."

Despite everything, Trump wants to continue to hold on to Hegseth. At an impromptu press conference on Monday, he highlighted his minister's alleged achievements. Even if a majority of the House of Parliament approved the move, he would remain loyal to it, Trump told reporters at the White House.

Trump and Massie have been feuding with each other for a long time. The representative was instrumental in forcing Congress to disclose investigative files in the case of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Trump wanted to prevent this, but ultimately bowed to Parliament's vote. Amid the renewed impeachment motion, he called Massie a "loser who shouldn't waste the time of Congress, the Senate, or anyone else."

Massie actually wanted to remain a member of parliament in the new legislative period - but Trump stirred up sentiment against him and spoke out for another Republican in the party's internal primaries. He was then nominated as a candidate for the midterms in Massie's district in Kentucky. The 55-year-old will only remain in office until the new Congress takes office.  dpa/nd

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