Hegseth faces bipartisan impeachment threat after Iran war gets blame for GOP midterm slaughter

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is facing a bipartisan impeachment threat when Congress returns next week as Republicans seethe over their devastating losses in Tuesday's midterm elections.

Bipartisan frustration over the war in Iran, quietly simmering for months, is now openly erupting after Democrats stunned the country with historic victories in the House and Senate. That anger could all now hit Hegseth, with several House Republicans telling Fox News Digital that they believe a resolution to impeach him could pass as early as next week.

"He's screwed," one House GOP lawmaker told Fox News Digital.

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., a longtime critic of foreign intervention by the U.S., told Fox News Digital he intends to force a vote on impeaching Hegseth when Congress returns if the Pentagon chief does not resign first.

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He'll do so by filing a privileged resolution, a mechanism aimed at getting a vote on legislation despite opposition from the majority party's leaders. Once a privileged resolution is filed, lawmakers have two legislative days to hold a vote.

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But the procedure notably carries two steps. Before a vote on the measure itself, leaders can call up a vote to "table" the bill or refer it to the relevant committee, which in both instances effectively kills it.

That procedural vote is normally where most privileged resolutions die. But in this case, several House Republicans told Fox News Digital they believe the impeachment resolution could ultimately be successful.

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"If he introduces it, it'll pass," a second House Republican told Fox News Digital. Two more said they expected the same.

One GOP lawmaker said attendance could be a key factor in impeaching Hegseth. It's highly possible that many Republicans who lost re-election simply do not return for the final two months of the year, that person said. And with just a razor-thin majority, only a handful of absences would be enough for Hegseth to get impeached if all Democrats stuck together.

The Fox News Decision Desk projected Democrats taking the House shortly before midnight on Tuesday. Projections showed that the war in Iran, along with tariff policies, were key drivers in voters turning their backs on the GOP.

And while President Donald Trump told reporters he believes Hegseth is doing "a good job," people in his circle appear to have their knives out.

"Hegseth is on the chopping block," a former White Hous