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Today, Republican Congressman Thomas Massie of Kentucky says he’ll force the House to vote on impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during the first week of the lame-duck session in November. The parents of Minneapolis VA nurse Alex Pretti, who was killed by federal agents in January, are accusing the Trump administration of protecting their son’s killers. Donald Trump’s proposed Triumphal Arch would cast a shadow over veterans’ graves at Arlington National Cemetery 284 days a year, according to a new analysis. And one former staffer to Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine says her latest attack ad against Democrat Troy Jackson may have just ended her campaign.
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Massie Promises Hegseth Impeachment Vote in ‘Week One’ of Lame Duck Session
Thomas Massie says impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is a “week one” issue when the House of Representatives returns for its lame-duck session. In a Monday interview with Roll Call, Massie said he’ll give notice the week of November 9 that he’s bringing his Hegseth impeachment resolution as a question of the privileges of the House.
That particular procedural move is on purpose. If the House parliamentarian agrees the resolution qualifies under those rules, the speaker has up to two legislative days to schedule a vote, either on the impeachment itself or on a motion to table it.
Massie — who lost his primary this summer to Trump-backed challenger Ed Gallrein and is leaving Congress in January — likes his odds. He said he gives it “better than a 50 percent chance of passing,” meaning every Democrat would vote yes in addition to a a handful of Republicans who may feel more free to vote for it now that they don’t have to worry about getting reelected.
The resolution, which Massie read out loud on the floor of the House last month, has eight articles of impeachment. They accuse Hegseth of violating the 1973 War Powers Act over the ongoing war with Iran, acting illegally in military operations in Venezuela, Yemen, the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific, along with disregarding civilian protections and suppressing the free speech of a U.S. senator.
Democrats are almost entirely united in favor of impeaching Hegseth. Congressman Jason Crow of Colorado, who is a military veteran, told CBS’s “Face the Nation” that ousting the defense secretary from the Pentagon is his top priority, saying servicemen and women deserve “competent, serious, real leadership.”
Lawmakers’ absences could still play a role in the final outcome of an impeachment vote in an almost evenly divided House, especially if members who lost their reelection bids don’t show up. The House has only ever impeached two Cabinet members in history, with the first one being War Secretary William Belknap in 1876 and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in 2024. Neither impeachment managed to get the necessary two-thirds majority in the Senate needed for a conviction.
Alex Pretti’s Parents Accuse Trump of Shielding Their Son’s Killers
Michael and Susan Pretti spoke publicly on Tuesday for the first time since federal agents shot and killed their son, Alex, in January. Alex was a 37-year-old ICU nurse protesting Trump’s ICE crackdown in Minneapolis, and he was killed just days after ICE agents killed another U.S. citizen, Renee Good, in broad daylight, while she was driving away from them.
At a press conference, Michael Pretti said his family’s experience with the Trump administration’s Justice Department has left them wondering whether their son will ever get justice for his death. Michael Pretti then called on federal officials to “do your job and stop shielding Alex’s killers.”
Trump administration officials responded by defended the agents who pulled the trigger, claiming Pretti was trying to use the handgun he was carrying legally. However, videos posted by various bystanders contradict that account. They show Pretti holding a phone while trying to help a protester who had been shoved to the ground and pepper sprayed when agents pinned him down and shot him at point-blank range.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty opened up a criminal investigation into the shooting and filed a March lawsuit against the Trump administration for access to evidence. While the government handed over what Moriarty called “voluminous” material, her office later discovered some pertinent information was withheld. The ad administration has since gathered more evidence, which apparently includes grand jury material and official statements from witnesses.
Federal prosecutors say they’re not required to share anything else because Moriarty hasn’t filed any criminal charges. The Justice Department defended keeping Pretti’s family in the dark by telling Reuters that contact with the family members of shooting victims usually comes during later stages like indictments and/or trials.
Susan Pretti said this has been a miserable year for her family, and that all she wants is justice for Alex, and to be treated with the dignity and respect their son deserved.
Trump’s Arch Would Cover Veterans’ Graves at Arlington 284 Days a Year
Donald Trump has been planning to build a massive 250-foot arch in a traffic circle between Washington and Arlington, Virginia for the better part of a year. According to a 3D model built by the Washington Post, the shadow of the arch would cast a massive shadow across graves at Arlington National Cemetery for 284 days a year, covering more than 75,000 graves.
While the shadow would clear the cemetery before it opens on most days, it would linger during visiting hours on 26 days of the year. In the fall and winter seasons, it would stretch over both Memorial Bridge and the Lincoln Memorial. In spring and summer, the shadow would cover President John F. Kennedy’s grave, and it would cover the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on more than 30 days of the year
The Interior Department said the Post’s analysis was “flawed,” saying that its own modeling found the shadow would only cover the cemetery during open hours for roughly two weeks, around the time Daylight Saving Time kicks off. But the agency only checked a few times of day on a handful of dates, while the Post included all 365 days in its analysis.
The project is currently up against a slew of legal challenges in federal court. Three Vietnam veterans sued to stop construction, arguing the arch would obstruct views of the cemetery. Arlington County, Virginia filed its own lawsuit this month, saying the administration bypassed a legally required environmental review.
The National Park Service acknowledged there were dozens of historic sites that could be affected by the arch’s proposed location, but refused to consider other alternative sites. A Fine Arts commission that’s packed full of Trump appointees already granted early approval for the arch. The National Capital Planning Commission will consider final approval on Thursday, November 5, the same day construction could begin. Keep an eye on this one.
Former Susan Collins Staffer Says Her Latest Ad May Have Ended Her Campaign
Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine is running a new attack ad against her Democratic challenger, former Maine State Senate President Troy Jackson, in the final week of the election cycle. At least one person who used to work for her thinks it may have sunk her campaign.
The ad features longtime Maine news anchor Bill Green mocking Jackson’s background as a logger. Green says he knows Jackson, but that “we’re not talking about buying a cord of wood here.” He went on to say that Jackson lacks the tools to be effective in the Senate.
Among the harshest critics of thead was Sam Patten, a former Collins staffer who now edits the conservative publication, The Maine Wire. In a Facebook post first highlighted by local Maine reporter Andy O’Brien, Patten wrote that he refused to believe the ad was real until he called every TV station in the state. WAGM in Presque Isle confirmed its authenticity.
Patten argued that his former boss has spent more than 30 years hiding what he called her “intrinsic arrogance,” knowing it would be fatal in a state like Maine, known for its parochial nature. He called the ad a public confession of Collins’ disdain for “little people,” and that it was too bad that Green, the news anchor, got looped in. Patten’s conclusion? “The race is over.”
Whether he’s right or wrong will be decided on November 3. A new Marist poll shows Jackson has a narrow lead over Collins by just two points.
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Make sure to watch our interview with Kentucky Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Charles Booker tomorrow morning at 10 AM ET! Watch live on our homepage at RawAmerica.com.
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