Republican Rep. Massie moves to impeach Defense Secretary Hegseth over Iran war conduct

Outgoing Republican Representative Thomas Massie on Tuesday introduced eight articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for “high crimes and misdemeanors” regarding his handling of the Trump administration’s war on Iran—calling it “unlawful at its inception.”

Massie attacked Hegseth for:

• “Waging the Iran war despite no declaration of war, statutory authorization, attack on the United States, or imminent threat”
• Continuing to attack Iran after the war powers resolution expired
• Suppressing Democratic Senator Mark Kelly’s right to free speech
• Initiating an unlawful war in Yemen (referencing Signalgate)
• “Ignoring laws that minimize civilian casualties”

Massie specifically noted Hegseth’s bombing of the Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in Minab, Iran, in February—a brutal attack that killed 120 schoolchildren and 36 other civilians.

“By directing the Department of Defense in a manner that foreseeably dismantled the safeguards necessary to distinguish civilian objects from military objects, Secretary Hegseth thereby affected the murder of civilians, and abused the trust of men and women under his command by requiring them to conduct military operations within a targeted and legal review system that he had deliberately degraded,” Massie said during a Tuesday House session.

Massie made his resolution privileged, meaning the House must vote on it in two days—if Speaker Mike Johnson doesn’t send everyone home early.

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Senator Grassley Clashes with Senator Booker Over FBI Director Patel

Senator Chuck Grassley had an explosive outburst at Senator Cory Booker on Tuesday, after the Democratic lawmaker grilled FBI Director Kash Patel over his incompetence.

Appearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee’s hearing on FBI oversight, Patel faced tough questions from Democratic lawmakers—especially Booker—and by the end, Grassley could not handle it anymore.

Grassley provided enormous cover to Patel after he refused to answer Booker’s questions about the FBI’s efforts to investigate Elizabeth Williamson, the New York Times journalist who reported on the SWAT team assigned as Patel’s 26-year-old girlfriend’s security detail. Booker accused Patel of lying before a grand jury that no journalist was under investigation.

“Mr. Chairman—Chairman, I’m asking yes or no questions about activities of the FBI, that as a matter of oversight I have the right to do,” Booker said to Grassley.

“I’m not going to—normally I would say, but this seems to be a personal thing to him,” Grassley replied.

Booker continued to outline Patel’s efforts to attack the press and subpoena reporters, and accused him of stonewalling the committee.

When Booker asked about Patel’s promise to investigate Donald Trump’s crude birthday card to alleged sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, Grassley interjected to grant Patel extra time to respond. As the FBI director proceeded to ramble about hunting down leakers of classified information, Booker tried to steer Patel back on topic, and Grassley informed the Democrat that his time was up.

As a frustrated Booker proceeded to give his closing remarks, Grassley continued to interrupt, even banging his gavel.

“We don’t have an FBI director, we have a lackey here. Who’s using govern—and frankly, he’s not even a good lackey, he’s an incompetent lackey. He’s like an 18-year-old kid who wants to join a fraternity that he could never be a member of. Doing keg stands and chugging with friends,” Booker said. “He’s an embarrassment to the agency and wouldn’t qualify, even, to be an FBI agent.

“What is bad is not just that we have a rogue FBI agent intimidating reporters, what’s bad is that we have Republicans in the Senate enabling him to go without any objective oversight or transparency or accountability!” Booker added.

Grassley accused Booker of expecting to receive special treatment. “You don’t show much respect for your chairman,” he said. “Yeah, you’ve gone on now for three minutes—”

“I have utter respect for yo—”