The Trump administration is effectively a lame-duck presidency after the Democratic Party’s decisive, overwhelming victory in the 2026 Midterms.
The fallout is hitting the Trump administration everywhere, as newly elected Democrats vow to investigate–and prosecute–Trump administration officials for a wide array of perceived improprieties, ranging from corruption scandals to even potential war crimes.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth hosts a teleconference with NFL players Aaron Jones and Elijah Higgins during their visit to the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing in Kuwait from the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., April 2, 2025. (DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Alexander Kubitza)
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth boards the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser, USS Chosin (CG 65), Panama, April 9, 2025. U.S. Southern Command and the Panamanian security forces collaborate to ensure and maintain regional stability during natural disasters, medical catastrophes or regional conflicts. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Van Hoang)
And it’s that last bit that is the immediate focus of Washington insiders.
Even before the disastrous Midterms, self-styled Secretary of War Pete Hegseth faced pressure both because of the failing Iran War and because of political disagreements.
According to Axios, Republican leaders are preparing for the prospect that enough members of their own party will join with Democrats to impeach Hegseth–not after the new Democratic majority is sworn in this January, but before the Democrats are sworn in.
The Massie Impeachment of Hegseth
Earlier this year, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) put forward articles of impeachment for the self-proclaimed secretary of war following what Massie rightly described as a series of unauthorized military interventions.
In September, after having had enough of Hegseth’s antics to evade inquiries from Massie’s office, the outgoing Kentucky representative introduced eight articles of impeachment against the Pentagon chief.
Between the ongoing Iran War and the numerous American military operations in the Caribbean and throughout Latin America, Hegseth stands accused of having exceeded his constitutional authority and violating restrictions governing the use of US military force.
The impeachment covers a wide range of allegations against the defense secretary, including unlawful military operations in Yemen, violating civilian-protection requirements, and abuses associated with the American operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January of this year.
Massie intends to force consideration of the resolution during the congressional session beginning Nov. 9.
Because it is structured as a privileged resolution, House leadership faces procedural pressure to address the measure rather than continue ignoring it as the Republican majority in the House has done.
With the defeat of the GOP in the election largely because of popular opposition to the Trump administration’s failed war of choice with Iran, Republican solidarity with and support of Pete Hegseth has essentially collapsed.
Republicans who have lost reelection have less incentive to project the Trump administration, which has cost them so dearly.
Meanwhile, the surviving Republican lawmakers are worried that the war has damaged the party’s standing with the voters–meaning that those few surviving elected Republicans want to start courting the voters now, before the Democratic majority is sworn in.
Lawmakers are upset that Hegseth failed to explain adequately to either Congress or the American people why military action against Iran was necessary or what Washington’s objectives are.
For example, Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) told Axios that Hegseth’s diminished popularity among congressional Republicans is a key reason Massie’s impeachment of Hegseth is now such a dire threat to Hegseth’s tenure as Secretary of War.
Republicans in Congress are now looking for a little revenge.
Hegseth Was Always On Thin Ice
And, let’s face it, the GOP never really supported Pete Hegseth. They tolerated him. When Trump nominated him at the start of his second term, many Republican insiders were taken aback because they wanted someone like Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AK) to be defense secretary.
Trump defied the GOP by naming Hegseth, although there has been little difference between the notoriously hawkish Sen. Cotton and Hegseth, particularly on the Iran War.
President Trump has publicly defended Hegseth, saying he intends to keep him.
For his part, the embattled defense chief, as usual, responded aggressively by dismissing the impeachment campaign as politically motivated and counterattacked Rep. Massie (reminding audiences that Massie lost to his pro-war, pro-Israel Republican primary challenger).
The Pentagon spokesman, Sean Parnell, rejected allegations of misconduct against his boss, saying the Pentagon has always operated within the law.
Despite the apparent outpouring of support from top administration officials, including the president, Hegseth’s position is deteriorating as the Iran War is clearly a failed conflict and the American people are turning on the administration as a result.
Even as the president expressed support for the secretary of war, just a few days later Trump also indicated that Hegseth was most responsible for the war, suggesting Trump might be preparing to throw Hegseth under the incoming bus of a hostile Congress.
The House requires only a simple majority to approve articles of impeachment. With Republicans holding a narrow majority until January, a small number of defections could produce a successful vote to impeach in the House.
Removing Hegseth, however, would require conviction by a two-thirds majority in the United States Senate.
That threshold is formidable, even after the Democrats assume control of the chamber in January.
What Will the Democrats Do Next?
House Democratic leader (and the next likely Speaker of the House) Hakeem Jeffries has already declared his support for impeachment, increasing pressure on Republicans to decide whether to keep defending the increasingly unpopular Hegseth.
Whether Hegseth survives this crucible or not is irrelevant. Hegseth’s fate may well be sealed, given the overwhelming majorities the incoming Democratic Congress will enjoy.
Even if the current Republican-held Congress fails to impeach Hegseth, the defense chief will be under intense scrutiny, especially as this most unpopular war drags on.
What we are seeing here is a glimpse into our future. That future will be punctuated by a constitutional crisis as the Democrats and the Trump administration wage war.
Pete Hegseth is likely to be the first (of several) Trump administration officials to fall. It is a question of when, not if.
About the Author: Brandon J. Weichert
Brandon J. Weichert is the Senior National Security Editor. He also manages The Weichert Brief on Substack. Weichert is the co-host of The Mario Nawfal Show on Twitter/X. He is the author of four bestselling national security books, most recently A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine (Encounter Books). His next book, Fortress Americas: A New Monroe Doctrine (Tucker Carlson Books), is due out December 8. Follow him via Twitter/X @WeTheBrandon.
