After the party’s defeat in the midterm elections on Tuesday (the 3rd), lawmakers and allies of Donald Trump began blaming the U.S. Secretary of Defense for the war against Iran. According to the CNN network, the war is identified as the main factor behind Trump’s unfavorable result, including within the Republican Party.
The situation raised speculation that United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth could face impeachment in the House of Representatives, with votes from some Republicans.
Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky was one of the spokespersons for the accusations. In an interview with CNN on Wednesday (the 4th), the lawmaker promised to force a vote as soon as Congress reconvened, which is expected to happen next week.
Republican sources heard by the network also said they expect approval. To open the process, a simple majority in the House is enough. To convict the secretary and remove him from office, two-thirds of the Senate are required. Democrats have a majority in both chambers, but will not take office until January. Until then, the decision lies with the current Republican majority.
Accumulated Charges
Massie himself had presented an impeachment resolution on September 15, which was read aloud for more than an hour on the floor. The text accuses Hegseth of violating the War Powers Resolution of 1973 by maintaining hostilities against Iran for more than 90 days without congressional authorization.
The resolution also includes attacks on vessels suspected of trafficking in the Caribbean and the operation that captured the then Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro.
Democrats had already introduced articles of impeachment against Hegseth in December 2025 and in April this year. Also in December, a report from the Pentagon’s Inspector General concluded that the secretary violated department rules by sending the timings of airstrikes in Yemen via the Signal app. In the same week, Congress opened investigations into a second bombing against survivors of a vessel hit in the Caribbean.
The Cost of War
It’s not new that in the United States, a large portion of public opinion argues that Hegseth may have overestimated the American ability to quickly defeat Iran. Although Tehran has shown no signs of surrender, it was Hegseth who defended escalating the bombings.
The war was initiated by the United States and by Israel on February 28, followed by a 60-day ceasefire that failed. The conflict shows no end in sight, while the cost has been high.
In an estimate sent to Congress in October, the Pentagon calculated the cost of the war at $47.1 billion, nearly double the $25 billion reported in April. Only the ammunition used accounts for about $30 billion. The total does not include repairs to American bases by Iranian missiles and drones.
Faced with the high expenditures and lack of prospect of victory, the Pentagon had to ask Congress for another $67.1 billion in supplemental funding, partly to cover the expenses.
The impact finally reached American consumers. In June, Moody’s Analytics estimated that the conflict had already cost U.S. families about $100 billion, or $750 per household, combining military spending and the fuel price surge after the closing of the Strait of Hormuz.
The squeeze on finances took its toll at the midterm election. On the eve of the ballot, a Reuters/Ipsos poll pointed to the cost of living as the central issue for 48% of voters. Only 25% said the war was worth the cost, against 55%.
Trump Maintains Support
With Hegseth’s name increasingly questioned, Vice President J.D. Vance stated that the main reason Republicans lost control of Congress would be, precisely, the effects of the war against Iran. Vance did not point to individuals, but the message was clear.
Trump continues to defend the offensive and said he has “every intention of keeping Hegseth in office.” The Pentagon spokesperson, Sean Parnell, embodied the presidential stance, stating that the secretary “will not back down or be intimidated by politicians.”
Hegseth finally responded to the pressure on Thursday (the 5th), in a video recorded on the steps of the Pentagon and posted on X. “Just like the president, we do not retreat, and that is especially true now,” defended the Secretary of Defense.
