Rep. Massie says Trump should fire Hegseth "to avoid Hegseth's impeachment"
Thomas MassieU.S. representative for Kentucky's 4th Congressional District
Rep. Thomas Massie wrote on X that President Trump "should fire Hegseth to avoid Hegseth's impeachment" and called it "the honorable thing to do". He said the House recessed early to avoid the vote and that he will reintroduce articles of impeachment against Hegseth when the House returns for the lame-duck session, whatever the result of the midterm election.
“Trump should fire Hegseth to avoid Hegseth’s impeachment. It’s the honorable thing to do. The House recessed early to avoid the vote, so I will reintroduce Hegseth articles of impeachment when we return for the lame duck session, regardless of the outcome of the midterm election.”
Original post
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Should Pete Hegseth be impeached?
Members of the House have advanced multiple impeachment proposals involving Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Rep. Shri Thanedar introduced H.Res. 935 in December 2025, Rep. Yassamin Ansari introduced H.Res. 1177 in April 2026, and Rep. Thomas Massie announced in September that he would offer a privileged resolution. The proposals allege distinct conduct involving military operations, oversight, and the handling of sensitive information; the proposals themselves do not establish those allegations. Hegseth disputed the characterization that anyone was “texting war plans,” while Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson called the April effort a charade and, after Massie read his articles on September 15, defended Hegseth’s record without addressing the specific allegations. The dispute is whether the House should impeach Hegseth on the basis of the congressional proposals and available evidence.
Source and context
Original post
About this source
Rep. Thomas Massie posted this on X on October 15, 2026, quoting a post from The Hormuz Letter account that said Trump was considering firing Hegseth after the midterm elections. We could not confirm the report Massie was responding to.
Reporting
About this source
The Hill reported Massie's X post on October 15, 2026, noting that House Republican leaders moved the impeachment vote to the lame-duck session and that The Hill had not verified the report Massie was responding to.
Before the quotation
Massie was quoting a post from The Hormuz Letter account that said Trump was considering firing Hegseth after the midterms over the Iran war. The House left in September without voting on Massie's privileged resolution.
After the quotation
The Hill reported the post the same evening and noted that Speaker Mike Johnson has denied changing the schedule to avoid the vote.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Massie calls for Hegseth's removal, either by Trump firing him or by impeachment, and commits to reintroducing articles of impeachment. That supports impeaching Hegseth if he stays in office.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Pete Hegseth
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The Dispute Index. "Rep. Massie says Trump should fire Hegseth "to avoid Hegseth's impeachment"". First published: 2026-10-17. Last updated: 2026-10-17. https://disputeindex.com/events/5969-rep-thomas-massie-wrote-on-x-that-president