On September 15, 2026, Rep. Thomas Massie filed a privileged resolution with eight articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth — war-powers violations in Iran, lethal strikes on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean, the seizure of Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro — and read all 34 pages on the House floor. A privileged resolution forces the House to act within two legislative days. Speaker Mike Johnson's response, the next day: cancel Thursday's votes and send the House home a day early for a seven-week pre-midterm recess, letting the clock expire. He called the resolution "a publicity stunt by someone who wants attention," praised Hegseth's "extraordinary job," and promised it would be "immediately tabled" when the House returns. No vote was ever held.
This from the man who, less than a week after becoming Speaker in October 2023, declared: "I think we have a constitutional responsibility to follow this truth where it leads. We're the rule of law team" — while championing the Biden impeachment inquiry — and who muscled the Mayorkas impeachment through the House in February 2024 insisting "Mayorkas needs to be held accountable." Constitutional duty, it turns out, is a team jersey: worn at home, stripped on the road. (Johnson denies the early recess was about Hegseth, citing the campaign calendar; the timing speaks for itself.)