How impeachment works in the US, and why Hegseth is unlikely to lose his job over it

On 9 November, Thomas Massie, a Republican in the US House of Representatives, filed eight charges seeking the impeachment of Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. He accuses Mr. Hegseth of waging war on Iran without the approval of Congress. A House vote is expected by 11 November. Here is how the process works, and why removal is a long shot.

What is impeachment?

Impeachment is the US Constitution’s way for Congress to remove senior officials. Article II says the President, the Vice-President and “all civil officers” can be removed if impeached and convicted of “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors”. Cabinet members, such as the Defence Secretary, are civil officers.

It is a two-step process. Impeachment itself is only the charge. It does not remove anyone.

Who decides?

• The House of Representatives brings the charges. Articles of impeachment pass with a simple majority of those voting; the House has 435 seats.
• The Senate then holds a trial. Conviction needs two-thirds of the senators present, which is 67 if all 100 vote.
• A conviction removes the official from office. The Senate can also bar them from holding federal office again.

How can one member force a vote?

Any member can offer articles of impeachment as a “privileged” resolution. The House must then act on it within two legislative days. But the majority does not have to debate the charges. It can vote to set them aside (“table” them) or send them to a committee, which usually ends the matter.

That is why Mr. Massie’s move is being watched as a test of loyalty. Republicans control the House until January, and Speaker Mike Johnson has called the effort a cheap trick.

Has a Cabinet member ever been removed?

No. The House has impeached two Cabinet members: Secretary of War William Belknap in 1876, who resigned shortly before the vote, and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in 2024. The Senate acquitted Belknap, and it dismissed the charges against Mayorkas without a trial.

The only officials ever removed by the Senate are federal judges.

What does it mean for Mr. Hegseth?

Even if the House impeached him, Republicans still control the Senate, so reaching 67 votes is very unlikely. Democrats take control of both houses in January after their midterm gains, but they will not have 67 Senate seats either.

Pressure can still matter. Officials have resigned under the threat of impeachment, and Mr. Massie has said he wants to push President Donald Trump to drop Mr. Hegseth.

How is it different in India?

India has no impeachment for ministers. Ministers hold office at the pleasure of the President, acting on the Prime Minister’s advice, and the whole government must keep the support of the Lok Sabha, which can remove it through a no-confidence motion. Impeachment in India applies only to the President (Article 61 of the Constitution), and judges can be removed by a similar process in Parliament.

What happens next?

The House is expected to vote on the articles by 11 November, most likely on whether to table them.