Staff Reports
Rep. Jason Crow’s on-air stumble this week did more than make for awkward television — it lifted the curtain on what Democrats and some Republicans are really trying to do with impeachment. During a Fox News interview, Crow plainly framed the push to remove Secretary of War Pete Hegseth as a way to force a “course change,” and even said the president could end the fight by firing him. Moments later, the House voted 211–204 to refer Rep. Thomas Massie’s impeachment articles to the Judiciary Committee — a procedural move that bottles up the effort for now.
Crow’s interview: impeachment sold as a policy lever
On live television, Rep. Jason Crow told host Martha MacCallum that he wanted Secretary of War Pete Hegseth removed and suggested the president could solve the problem immediately by firing him. That’s not legal argument; that’s politics as usual. Legal scholars such as Professor Jonathan Turley called Crow’s framing “constitutionally incomprehensible,” warning that treating impeachment like a tool to force policy change weakens the Constitution and sends dangerous signals about how this power can be abused.
House moves to stall: Massie’s impeachment sent to Judiciary
Rep. Thomas Massie forced the House to consider articles of impeachment against Secretary Hegseth, but Republicans on the floor did the sensible thing: they voted to refer the resolution to the Judiciary Committee, 211–204. That parliamentary route means no straight up-or-down impeachment vote now, and the resolution is likely to sit in committee through the lame‑duck. Translation: the chamber declined to hand Democrats a quick show trial — and that’s the right call.
Why this matters: preserving impeachment’s high bar
Impeachment is meant for “high crimes and misdemeanors,” not as a substitute for losing a policy fight. If Congress starts using impeachment to change military tactics or punish officials for policy disagreements, the Framers’ guardrails get bulldozed. Elections, legislation, and political pressure are the remedies for policy disputes — not weaponizing the impeachment process to score headlines. Crow’s admission proves critics’ complaint: this push was about politics, not crimes.
What comes next and the political fallout
Expect Democrats to keep blaring the impeachment drum, and a few Republicans to keep grandstanding. The Judiciary Committee could technically take this up, but reality is it’s unlikely to produce a House floor showdown this session. Meanwhile, conservatives should use Crow’s own words to make the case: impeachment can’t be a policy thermostat. Hold the line, defend lawful authority, and remind voters that impeachment is too important to be turned into a political tool.
