“Since when did being a jerk become an impeachable offense?”

That’s the question making the rounds among my Paradigm colleagues this week as Washington braces for another impeachment showdown.

Fair question. But it sells the fight short.

Because on his way out of Congress, Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie is going down swinging. And his target is Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

On Monday, Massie reintroduced eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth. It’s his second try. The first expired in September after Speaker Mike Johnson sent the House home early.

This time, a vote is harder to dodge. And Democrats are lining up. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is backing the push, as is Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer.

So the Republican who spent years aggravating some members of his own party has found some unlikely allies for his final Washington shootout.

But even with Democrats in his corner, Massie couldn’t get his impeachment articles past the Republican majority.

Your Rundown for Wednesday, November 11, 2026...

Pete’s Pickle

Massie isn’t accusing Hegseth of being a lousy boss. His claims are far more serious.

The articles charge Hegseth with violating the Constitution and federal law, chiefly by waging war on Iran for more than 90 days without congressional authorization.

They also target military actions in Yemen and Venezuela, along with allegations of civilian casualties.

Mind you, these are accusations. Not established facts.

And the administration isn’t buying them. On Tuesday, in his first Pentagon press conference since May, Hegseth called the effort a “political spectacle” and insisted policy disagreements aren’t impeachable offenses.

President Trump was less diplomatic. He called Massie a “total loser.”

Massie has never been MAGA’s favorite. He’s bucked Trump on spending, the Epstein files and the Iran war.

In May, Massie lost Kentucky’s Republican primary to Ed Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL endorsed by Trump. Hegseth also campaigned for Gallrein.

After seven terms, Massie got his walking papers. But nobody told him to leave quietly.

Massie’s impeachment effort is now effectively dead, at least for this Congress.

But Hegseth isn’t out of the woods. Democrats will take control of the House in January, opening the door to another impeachment attempt.

Even then, removing Hegseth would require a two-thirds vote in the Senate. That's a steep climb.

Remember Pink Slip Pete? Back in September, contributing editor Emily Clancy wrote about the upheaval inside the Pentagon.

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll had just resigned. Senior officers were being pushed out. And Sen. Thom Tillis urged Trump to find a new Pentagon chief.

Tillis hasn’t softened. After the midterms, he repeated the call.

Our concern then wasn’t Hegseth’s loyalty to the president. It was whether leadership turmoil was eroding military readiness during an active war.

That concern still stands.

Massie’s gambit may have been political payback. It may be a principled defense of congressional war powers. Perhaps it’s both. Tell me what you think at feedback@newsyoucanacton.com.

But beneath the insults and the political theater sits a real constitutional question: How far can a president and his Pentagon chief go in waging war without the authorization of Congress?

That’s worth answering no matter who’s in the White House.

One last thing…

Today is Veterans Day. Every service member swears an oath to the Constitution, not to a party or a president.

Many are still on dangerous missions overseas. They deserve clear objectives, competent leadership and a Congress that does its job.

Thank you to everyone who has served.

Market Rundown for Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026

S&P 500 futures are up 0.90% to 7,613.

Oil is up 1.55% to $87.35 for a barrel of WTI.

Gold is up 0.35% to $4,044.50 per ounce.

And Bitcoin’s up 0.10% to $73,685.