Gene Healy urges Republicans to back impeaching Hegseth over the Iran war
Gene HealySenior scholar at Reason Foundation, writing in Reason
In a Reason column the day after the midterms, Healy argued that House Republicans should join a vote on Massie's articles of impeachment as a way to distance themselves from the Iran war, and that an impeachment could work as a form of constitutional censure even without removal by the Senate.
“After Tuesday's electoral shellacking, GOP members should be looking for clear opportunities to distance themselves from Trump's disastrous and unnecessary war. Here's their chance to do that”
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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.
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Original text
About this source
Opinion column by Gene Healy in Reason, published the day after the midterm elections, arguing for the House to impeach Hegseth over the Iran war.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
The column ran under the headline Impeach Pete Hegseth for the Disastrous Iran War, a day after Democrats won both chambers of Congress.
After the quotation
Healy wrote that four of the eight articles in Massie's resolution concern the Iran war, and that the goal should not be simply removing Hegseth.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
On whether Hegseth should be impeached, Healy calls for the House to impeach him over the Iran war and urges Republicans to vote for Massie's articles. That supports impeachment.
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More from this case
Read the full caseTrump says Hegseth has done a fantastic job after the midterm losses
“Pete Hegseth has done a fantastic job. ... I don't like a woke general, and so he probably has opposition. I think he's doing a fantastic job.”Read statement
Hegseth calls the impeachment articles a sham and says the effort won't work
“A disgruntled, defeated congressman along with all his Democrat allies has also dropped sham articles of impeachment against yours truly. ... Didn't work against President Trump, and it won't work with me.”Read statement
Massie says his impeachment resolution is gentler than what Democrats will bring
“If Trump's going to replace appointees like Hegseth, he should do it while he can still get the replacements confirmed in the Senate. Also, my Hegseth impeachment resolution is a much gentler version of what's coming when Dem's control Congress. They'll have hearings & trials.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Gene Healy urges Republicans to back impeaching Hegseth over the Iran war". First published: 2026-11-06. Last updated: 2026-11-06. https://disputeindex.com/events/8311-in-a-reason-column-the-day-after-the