Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth target of GOP House member Thomas Massie's impeachment resolution

WASHINGTON — A GOP congressman on Monday reintroduced an impeachment resolution against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, likely forcing House members from Long Island and across the country to put their loyalty or opposition to President Donald Trump and the former Fox News host on the record this week.

A vote could occur as early as Wednesday on the impeachment push being led by U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.). The resolution seeks to remove Hegseth from office because of his administration of the war with Iran, the capturing of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and other issues.

Trump defended Hegseth on Monday at a last-minute White House briefing. Pressed about Massie’s effort, Trump said Hegseth “won the war, in two big places,” citing the ongoing conflict in Iran, and the detention of Maduro in January.

“Massie is a loser,” Trump said, adding, “The guy is a stone cold loser. There's something wrong with him.” Trump also said that the two United States-led military operations are “not like Vietnam where nothing was won.”

As of Monday night, U.S. Reps. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) and Laura Gillen (D-Rockville Centre) were staying mum on how they might vote, despite House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-Brooklyn) declaring at a Capitol news conference: “I’m a hard yes, as I have made clear, on the impeachment resolution.” And other Democrats were echoing that sentiment.

Meanwhile, neither U.S. Reps. Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport) nor Nick LaLota (R-Amityville) were yet saying they would oppose Hegseth’s impeachment — or commenting at all about what they will do.

A week ago, they watched as Democrats defeated many of their GOP colleagues, winning majorities in both chambers of Congress. Some Republicans, including Vice President JD Vance, said the ongoing Iran war was a reason for the voter frustration that could have led to the Democratic sweep.

A vote to impeach Hegseth is viewed by many as unlikely to pass in the current narrowly GOP-controlled Congress, which continues in a lame-duck status until early January. But if the impeachment vote does wind up reflecting any internal Republican anger over the midterm elections, fewer than two GOP defections are needed to cross the aisle to impeach Hegseth, if all Democrats remain unified.

Hegseth said on Monday he’s “not worried” about the impeachment effort. He told reporters he would say more at a news conference Tuesday.

Massie, a libertarian conservative with eyes on a potential presidential run, lost his GOP primary election in May after Trump endorsed his opponent.

On Monday, he read his articles of impeachment on the House floor, in part, stating Hegseth “has demonstrated that he will remain a threat to the Constitution if allowed to remain in office.”

The resolution accuses Hegseth of waging war in Iran in contravention of war powers resolutions passed by Congress; disregarding laws to minimize civilian deaths; suppressing free speech by seeking to punish Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) for telling service members in a video they can refuse illegal orders; and directing the “unauthorized kidnapping” of Maduro — a sovereign foreign leader — and his wife, Cilia Flores.

Under House rules, such a “privileged” resolution will force Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and his top GOP lieutenants to put the measure up for a vote within two legislative days, which would likely mean by Wednesday.

The initial vote is likely to be on whether to simply “table” the matter,” as a way to defer or block action. But if a majority of House members defeat the tabling motion, a vote could occur on impeachment directly.

A maneuver by Johnson had blocked Massie from pressing his resolution in September, before the election.

New York’s junior senator Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand indicated in an interview Monday with Newsday she would support removing Hegseth from office if he were to be impeached and the matter sent to the Senate.

“Well, I’ve been calling on Hegseth to resign from the first day (of his being nominated), and I voted against him. So, you can guess where my feelings on his performance lie,” Gillibrand said.

Newsday's Laura Figueroa Hernandez contributed to this story.