Today, soon to be former Congressman Thomas Massie introduced eight articles of impeachment against Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
From where I sit, it is one jerk against another jerk.
Massie is a bigot who is bitter that he lost the Republican primary and I loathe the fact that Democrats are indulging and elevating a man who should go crawl under the rock from which he came.
In all, Massie introduced eight articles of impeachment. Half of the articles concern war powers resolution concerning Iran and Yemen which are reminiscent of the sort of impeachment article the late Texas Democratic Congressman Henry Gonzalez would issue against President Reagan for military action in Grenada and against the first President Bush for the first Gulf War.
At least, Gonzalez aimed those impeachment articles against the President of the United States while Massie takes aim at the Secretary of Defense or Secretary of War. Whatever you want to call him, he serves at the pleasure of the President. If Massie were serious about this, he would have targeted Trump as well.
Another article of impeachment concerns the removal of former Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro. Even Henry Gonzalez didn't see fit to introduce an article of impeachment against Bush for ousting Manuel Noreiga from power in Panama although he vigorously opposed U.S. military action there.
There is another article of impeachment concerning civilian casualties specifically with regard to the bombing of a girl's school during the early days of U.S. military involvement in Iran. While the deaths of children warrant outrage, U.S. intelligence believed the facility was part of an Iranian military base which had evidently converted into a school. As I asked at the time, "Why is there a girls' school situated near one of Iran's military bases?"
Another article of impeachment centers around Hegseth's efforts to demote Arizona Senator Mark Kelly's military ranks after he participated in a video along with other lawmakers who had served in the military that they can refuse unlawful orders. However, Kelly sued Hegseth in federal court which has blocked Hegseth from taking any further action against the Senator. While Hegseth has appealed the ruling, this matter is before the courts, and an article of impeachment is not necessary here.
The only article of impeachment which I believe has some merit is the extrajudicial killings against alleged drug boats. There is testimony which claims that Hegseth gave orders to leave no survivors on these boats. This certainly demonstrates a deliberate lack of care on Hegseth's part to ensure the vessels in question were actually drug boats. Even if these strikes were in fact against drug boats why couldn't these vessels have been given an opportunity to surrender?
Had Massie narrowed his focus to this single article of impeachment where Hegseth's actions were willfully unlawful then this exercise would have more precision and purpose. As it stands, it seems like Massie's motivations are motivated by revenge rather than any sense of justice.
If Massie's impeachment articles go to the House floor, it may pass but will be dead on arrival in the Senate. At most, it could force Trump to ask Hegseth to resign. But with Stephen Miller as the new sheriff in town, I think Trump will stand by Hegseth to the bitter end because I believe he views him as his true heir apparent. Of course, this would not be a good thing.
Pete Hegseth ought to be held to account for his actions. But aside from his conduct concerning drug boats, Thomas Massie's impeachment crusade is little more than a self-serving act of a pathetic public official on his way out of office.
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