New bid to impeach Hegseth for 'high crimes' and 'threat to civilians'
Pete Hegseth has made few friends in Washington DC. (Pool: Ezra Acayan via Reuters)
Question marks hang over Pete Hegseth's tenure as US defense secretary after Congress launched a fresh attempt to impeach him amid growing bipartisan calls for him to resign.
In Washington on Monday, local time, dissident GOP Congressman Thomas Massie introduced eight articles of impeachment against Mr Hegseth, saying he had acted unlawfully.
It starts a two-day clock for members to vote on whether to impeach the defence secretary.
Mr Massie has been among Hegseth's most ardent detractors on Capitol Hill, arguing the defence secretary's support of US military interventions in Iran, Venezuela and the Caribbean has violated international law.
Thomas Massie has made it clear he plans to end Hegseth's time at the Pentagon. (Reuters: Al Drago)
The fact Mr Massie is spearheading the impeachment attempt despite being from Donald Trump's Republican Party has enraged the President, who has repeatedly voiced support for Mr Hegseth.
Mr Massie's bid will have the support of Democrats, but there is growing speculation that disgruntled GOP representatives could also back it.
Around 70 Republicans will leave the House at the end of this year.
Some are retiring or have won political office elsewhere, while others were defeated at last week's midterm elections.
Analysts argue many people in this cohort will have nothing to lose and could back the bid to make a political point during their final weeks in office, even if it the White House hates it.
Outgoing Nebraska GOP Representative Don Bacon is among those who have said he may support Massie's motion.
"I'm not the only one that feels this way, there's a bunch of us that have been talking about it," he told CNN on Monday.
When Mr Hegseth was asked about the efforts to impeach him on Monday, he told reporters: "We're not worried about that."
However, he has scheduled a rare press conference for Tuesday morning at the Pentagon where he will address the situation.
In order to impeach a president or cabinet secretary, a simple majority of House members must back the bid.
To actually remove them from office, a two-thirds majority of senators must then vote in favour of it.
Only two US cabinet secretaries have ever been impeached previously, and neither was removed from office.
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