Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is facing a renewed impeachment push in the wake of Tuesday's midterm drubbing, as lawmakers in both parties increasingly point to the ongoing war with Iran as a driving reason Republicans lost control of Congress, according to Fox News and The Hill.

Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie first filed articles of impeachment against Hegseth back in September, accusing him of violating the War Powers Resolution by carrying out a prolonged military campaign in Iran without formal congressional authorization. Democratic Rep. Yassamin Ansari, whose parents fled Iran, has signed on as a co-sponsor. Massie is now pledging to force a privileged resolution that would require a House floor vote unless Hegseth resigns — with some reporting suggesting that vote could come as early as next week, per The Spokesman-Review.

"The reason we lost is the war"

The political math has shifted fast. Republicans lost significant ground Tuesday, and Hegseth, as the Cabinet official overseeing the Iran campaign, has become a lightning rod for the blame. Vice President JD Vance was reported to have put it bluntly in a post to allies.

"THE REASON WE LOST IS THE WAR." — VP JD VANCE

Hegseth is pushing back hard. He's called the impeachment effort a "sham" and defended the Iran campaign as a "courageous and historic effort," according to Business Today. He's simultaneously pressing Congress for at least $350 billion in additional defense funding, even as his own job security is in question.

The White House, for now, appears to be standing by him: Trump has reportedly rejected suggestions he's considering firing Hegseth, telling reporters he intends to keep him in the Cabinet despite the pressure. Massie himself has framed his effort as a warning shot, telling reporters his resolution is "a much gentler version of what's coming when Dems control Congress" — a nod to the fact that a Democratic-controlled House next term could pursue impeachment on its own timeline regardless of what happens this week.