Rep. Thomas Massie picked a fight with President Trump’s national-security team Tuesday by moving to impeach Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

Attorney General Todd Blanche’s reaction was immediate — and absolutely brutal.

Massie took to the House floor shortly after noon and announced a series of articles of impeachment accusing Hegseth of high crimes and misdemeanors tied largely to the war with Iran.

The floor video shows Massie reading the impeachment charges into the record:

The Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House recorded that Massie formally notified the chamber at 12:04 p.m. of his intent to offer a privileged resolution under House Rule IX.

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The Clerk’s entry says the presiding officer will determine whether the resolution qualifies when it is brought up for consideration. The privileged procedure prevents the proposal from simply disappearing into committee and can force House leaders to deal with it on the floor.

Massie’s accusations center on the Trump administration’s military campaign against Iran. He claims Hegseth carried out hostilities without congressional authorization, ignored congressional war-powers limits and bears responsibility for other military and disciplinary actions that Massie says violated the Constitution.

Those are Massie’s allegations. They are not findings by the House, and the Republican-controlled chamber is not expected to approve his impeachment push.

The Associated Press reports that Massie is using a long-shot resolution that could force action within days and put lawmakers on record over Hegseth’s leadership during the Iran war.

The report says Massie accuses Hegseth of abusing his authority by deploying U.S. forces without receiving the congressional approval Massie believes the War Powers Act requires. House Republicans can move to table the measure rather than hold a direct vote on the impeachment articles themselves.

Blanche had no patience for the premise.

Asked about the filing, the attorney general said Hegseth has followed the law and is doing a “phenomenal job.” Blanche said the Justice Department actively reviews the legality of administration actions and flatly rejected the claim that Hegseth had done anything impeachable.

Here is Blanche’s full defense of Hegseth and the administration’s actions:

Then came the moment that may end up defining the entire episode.

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When a reporter told Blanche that Massie was the congressman behind the impeachment effort, Blanche rolled his eyes before answering. Nine seconds of video captured the administration’s assessment better than a page of talking points could have:

Massie did not alert Republican leaders before making his move, according to reports, and he is already on his way out of Congress after losing his primary to a Trump-backed challenger.

Now he wants House Republicans to spend precious floor time deciding whether Pete Hegseth should be removed for carrying out the administration’s military policy.

Blanche’s eye roll made the White House position unmistakable: Hegseth is staying on the job, the administration believes its actions are lawful, and Massie’s impeachment stunt is not being treated as a serious threat.

This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport. View the original article here.

 

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