Sen. Thom Tillis said he would vote in favor of a full impeachment trial for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth if a resolution passes the House. The North Carolina Republican framed the potential vote as an expression of “no confidence” in Hegseth’s leadership of the Pentagon, signaling a widening rift among GOP lawmakers over the secretary’s tenure.
The threat of removal follows allegations from Sen. Joni Ernst that Hegseth has obstructed congressional oversight and potentially provided inaccurate information to President Donald Trump regarding the war in Iran. While Ernst stated that Hegseth’s leadership hinders the administration’s efforts to secure additional agency funding, Vice President JD Vance defended the official, calling the push for impeachment a “ridiculous show” and denying that the dispute was about the conflict in Iran.