Pete Hegseth Plummets in Polls Amid Impeachment Efforts
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is facing pressure from two directions simultaneously. His public approval rating has dropped to its lowest point in a series of Marquette Law School surveys, while a Republican member of the House of Representatives has introduced eight articles of impeachment, largely concerning the Trump administration’s war powers and military operations.
A national survey by Marquette Law School conducted between 2 and 9 September 2026 shows that only 25 per cent of respondents hold a positive view of Hegseth, while 49 per cent view him negatively. Approximately 26 per cent stated they do not know him well enough to provide an assessment. Consequently, Hegseth’s net favourability stands at minus 24 points.
This figure represents a decline from July, when Hegseth held 23 per cent favourability and 45 per cent unfavourability, or minus 22 points. In May, his position was minus 19 points, and in April, it was minus 2 ent 21 points. The data indicates that the September figure is the lowest in the available series of Marquette measurements for Hegseth.
Marquette interviewed 1,023 adults across the US with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points. The survey utilised the SSRS Opinion Panel, a national probability sample using online interviews. The results were released by Marquette Law School on Tuesday, 15 September 2026.
Pressure on Hegseth is intensifying as this decline coincides with growing public opposition to the war with Iran. The same survey found that 79 per cent of US citizens believe the war is not worth the cost, while only 21 per cent believe otherwise. Furthermore, 87 per cent believe the US has not achieved its war objectives, whereas 13 per cent believe those objectives have been met.
Trump’s Handling of the War Also Rejected
Dissatisfaction extends beyond Hegseth. Only 26 per cent of respondents approve of President Trump’s handling of the war with Iran, while 73 per cent disapprove, according to the same Marquette survey. This approval rating has dropped from 32 per cent in April and 30 per cent in July.
The war with Iran began after the US and Israel launched attacks on 28 February 2026. The ongoing conflict has disrupted oil shipments and contributed to rising fuel prices in America, as reported by Reuters on Tuesday, 15 September 2026.
This economic pressure is visible directly at the petrol pumps. The American Automobile Association (AAA) noted that the national average price for regular petrol on Wednesday, 16 September 2026, reached 4.3672 US dollars per gallon, compared to 3.1862 US dollars a year earlier. Diesel prices even reached 6.3103 US dollars per gallon, the highest figure recorded by the AAA.
The AAA previously stated that volatility in the Strait of Hormuz had pushed crude oil prices back above 100 US dollars per barrel in early September. On 10 September, national petrol prices had risen by approximately 13 cents in just one week, as announced by the AAA on Thursday, 10 September 2026.
These economic impacts have become a primary reason why the war is increasingly entering political debate ahead of the midterm elections on 3 November.
Fellow Republican Files Impeachment
Amidst the polling pressure, Republican House Representative from Kentucky, Thomas Massie, introduced eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth on Tuesday, 15 September 2026.
Reuters reported on the same day that Massie accused Hegseth of abusing his power by executing military operation orders against Iran without Congressional approval. Massie filed his resolution as a privileged resolution, a procedure that should compel the House to take action within two legislative days.
One of Massie’s primary allegations is that the administration has continued hostilities with Iran beyond the timeframe established by the War Powers Resolution of 1973 without obtaining specific authorisation from Congress.
“Peter Brian Hegseth deserves to be impeached and tried, removed from office, and disqualified from holding and enjoying any office,” Massie stated when reading the resolution in the House, as reported by Time on Tuesday, 15 September 2026.
Massie’s allegations are claims within a political impeachment process and do not yet constitute judicial findings that Hegseth has violated the law.