House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) acknowledged on Friday that Republicans are uneasy about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, as Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) readies an impeachment effort next week.
“That’s going to be a decision that President Trump’s going to have to make,” Comer said on NewsNation when asked whether he wants a change at the Pentagon. “But I can tell you with a high level of confidence that there’s a lot of questions about Hegseth. We have no idea what the strategy is moving forward in Iran. No one’s happy about Iran, and I think the Republican voters are more upset about what’s going on in Iran than the Democrat voters.”
Comer’s remarks come as sources tell The Hill that Trump has been privately asking allies about Hegseth’s standing, with one source saying the Pentagon chief is in “a lot of trouble.” Publicly, Trump has stood by Hegseth, saying he is not considering a replacement and that the former Army National Guard major is “doing a very good job.”
A senior Pentagon official told The Hill on Thursday that replacing Hegseth is not “practical,” citing the difficulty of confirming a new secretary during the lame-duck session—before Democrats take control of the House after their midterm sweep. “He is not terribly worried about being replaced,” the official said. The uncertainty surrounding Hegseth’s future has been a subject of intense speculation.
Massie, a vocal critic of the Iran war, has said he will reintroduce articles of impeachment against Hegseth in the lame-duck session. Hegseth dismissed the move as political theater from a “disgruntled, defeated congressman.”
“Just like they tried against President Trump twice. You see, their policies don’t work, so their obsession with political theater disguised as power drives them to try to destroy their opponents. It’s all about the politics of personal destruction,” Hegseth said in a video Thursday. “Didn’t work against President Trump, and it won’t work with me. You can rest assured of that.”
Massie has indicated he would drop the resolution—which is expected to draw significant Democratic and some Republican support—if Hegseth resigns. The push comes as Democrats are already floating impeachment against other officials.
Comer also said he has heard from Republican voters who are “mad” about the Iran war, now over eight months old, and rising gas prices. “They are mad that we’re in this situation in Iran,” Comer told NewsNation host Markie Martin. “They’re mad over gas prices, and a lot of them stayed home. I do not think, at least in Kentucky, I don’t think that these upset MAGA people voted Democrat. They just didn’t vote. So we’ve got to regain their trust. I think we can do it.”
With Democrats set to take the House gavel, Republicans are also bracing for a wave of oversight investigations. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise has urged GOP chairs to prepare for the coming probes.
