Massie claims GOP support for Hegseth impeachment prompted early recess

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) argued Wednesday that House GOP leaders sent the lower chamber home early because they found other Republicans in support of his push to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. 

“The fact that they didn’t vote on it tells me that they did a whip check, and they probably found that there were some other Republicans, besides me, that were going to vote for this, or at least didn’t want to be on the record supporting Hegseth,” he told host Kaitlan Collins on CNN’s “The Source.”

The outgoing Kentucky libertarian, a frequent critic of President Trump, introduced eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth on Tuesday.

Massie accused Hegseth of violating his “oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States,” citing his handling of the Iran war and operations to kill alleged drug traffickers in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean.

The GOP lawmaker, who lost his primary in May to Trump-backed Ed Gallrein, also made his impeachment resolution privileged.

That would have forced lawmakers to vote on it within two days, before Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) sent them home a day early for a seven-week recess.

Given that, Massie argued the early recess was because of his impeachment resolution.

“I know it was,” he told Collins, adding it is “actually bad politics” to have the resolution “hanging over Pete Hegseth’s head” until the House returns in November. 

“If there was any other reason that they canceled tomorrow’s day of session, they could have had the Hegseth vote tonight,” the GOP lawmaker added. “Because the rules say that he has to have the vote within 48 hours. They don’t … say he has to wait 48 hours." 

“So, [Johnson] could have had the vote yesterday, as soon as I introduced the articles. He could have done it today, before he adjourned Congress,” he added, later dubbing the early recess the “Hegseth holiday.”

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