Trump's Trials - Rep. Thomas Massie moves to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the Iran war

Starting point is 00:00:00 I'm Scott Detrow, and this is Trump's terms from NPR. Every episode, we bring you one story from NPR's coverage of the Trump administration with the focus on actions and policies that take the presidency into uncharted territory. Here's the latest from NPR. From NPR News, I'm A Martinez. Representative Thomas Massey, a Republican from Kentucky, has launched a push to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegsef over the war in Iran. The effort is unlikely to succeed, but members of the House are expected to vote on it later this week, as NPR's Kat Lonsdorff reports.

Starting point is 00:00:40 Congressman Massey took to the House floor just after the chamber convened at noon on Monday to read the articles of impeachment out loud. Impeaching Peter Brian Heggseth, Secretary of Defense for High Crimes and Misdemeanors. Alleging such high crimes and misdemeanors, including waging the war in Iran illegally. the administration's boat strikes in the Caribbean and also suppression of free speech by threatening Arizona Democratic Senator Mark Kelly for a video in which he reminded troops they can refuse illegal orders. In all of this, Secretary Hegseth has acted in a manner contrary to his trust as Secretary of Defense and subversive of constitutional government. It's not the first time an impeachment resolution against Hegseth has been introduced in the House. Back in April, a group of Democrats made a similar move, but it never came up for a vote. Massey is the first Republican to do so and made his resolution privileged, meaning it must be voted on by the House within days.

Starting point is 00:01:39 Peter Bryan Heggseth thus warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust, or profit under the United States. Massey has been a longtime critic of the Trump administration and recently lost his personal. primary to Trump-backed candidate Ed Gowryne. Hegsef made the rare move as Pentagon chief to campaign for Gowd in that race. It's unlikely Massey's effort will succeed in a Republican-controlled Congress, but the vote is politically fraught ahead of midterm elections in November. The war in Iran is incredibly unpopular among Americans and has contributed to rising costs in the country. In a statement to NPR, Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson defended Hengseth, calling him a, quote, transformative leader. The House will have to act on Massey's proposal by Thursday.

Starting point is 00:02:30 Lawmakers are set to begin an extended recess at the end of the week and won't be back in session until after the elections. Kat Lonsdorf, Empire News, Washington. And before we wrap up, a thank you to our NPR Plus supporters who hear each show without sponsored messages and, of course, who help protect independent journalism. If you are not a supporter yet, you can visit plus.npr.org to find out how you can get a ton of podcast perks across dozens of NPR shows, like bonus episodes, exclusive merchandise, and more. Again, that's plus.npr.org. I'm Scott Detrow.

Starting point is 00:03:08 Thanks for listening to Trump's Terms from NPR.

Trump's Trials - Rep. Thomas Massie moves to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the Iran war

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