Hegseth Has A Senate Republican Problem

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faces the biggest threat yet to his tenure, with a House GOP plan to halt an impeachment vote fading and more Republican senators saying they will consider a trial.

House lawmakers are expected to reject an effort Tuesday night to stop the process, setting up a final vote the following day. If it passes, the next step is a Senate trial. And at least six Republican senators said they are seriously considering whether Hegseth should stay.

One senator — outgoing North Carolina Republican Thom Tillis — has said he will vote to oust the Pentagon chief from his Cabinet post if given the chance.

Only 51 Senate votes — a simple majority — are required to open an impeachment trial, and most Democrats are likely to support moving forward with the proceedings. And Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), John Curtis (R-Utah), John Cornyn (R-Texas), John Boozman (R-Ark.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) all said that they would examine the evidence of wrongdoing if the House votes to impeach Hegseth.

“I’d be open to a trial,” Cassidy said.

Outgoing Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) filed eight impeachment articles on Monday that accused Hegseth of “high crimes and misdemeanors,” including illegally launching the Iran war and killing hundreds of civilians in boat strikes against alleged drug smugglers in the Caribbean.

If not all House Republicans show up to support an effort to stop the measure, the full chamber will proceed to an impeachment vote. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), who is poised to become House speaker next year, has endorsed the push — meaning Democrats will likely back it en masse.

The Trump administration, meanwhile, has doubled down on its support for Hegseth.

“Has Pete Hegseth committed impeachable crimes?” JD Vance posted Tuesday on social media. “The question is absurd and the answer is: obviously not.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the impeachment effort “unfair.” And President Donald Trump said he would “stand by” Hegseth if he was impeached.

Hegseth, in a Pentagon press conference on Tuesday, dismissed the effortas a “farce” pushed by a single irate Republican and Democratic Party foes.

But the Senate Republican openness to listening to the impeachment arguments — and potentially voting to fire him — undermines those claims.

“We would be obligated to at least look at the evidence and see if we should move forward,” said Boozman.

Convicting and removing a Cabinet official is a heavier lift than simply launching a trial, requiring a two-thirds supermajority of Senate votes. That would mean 20 Republicans would have to vote along with all Democrats and independents to get rid of the Defense secretary.

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) could also sit on the vote and not move it to the Senate. But if he chooses to wait, it would roll over to the Democratic-led Congress.