A Republican Congressman has taunted US Defence secretary Pete Hegseth while filing eight articles of impeachment against him.

Thomas Massie read the allegations on the House floor relating to Hegseth’s roles in bombing schoolchildren in Iran, kidnapping Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and striking suspected drug boats off the US.

Massie, who has a longstanding feud with Trump, warned his impeachment effort “is a much gentler version of what’s coming when the Democrats assume control of the House and Senate next year.”

He urged Trump to replace Hegseth “now while he can still get a replacement confirmed in the Senate.”

“We’re not indicting him for being bad at his job,” said Massie.

“In fact, he was very effective at killing schoolchildren in Iran, he was very effective at extrajudicial killings.

Massie taunted Hegseth to the media: “I hope he addresses the eight articles (of impeachment) and doesn’t get up and misquote the Bible in Quentin Tarantino fashion and do some pull-ups and call everybody fat and gay for being for this impeachment,” he said.

“I may have just given you half his speech, I don’t know.”

Hegseth said he would address the issue at a press conference later on Tuesday (US time).

Hegseth has emerged as a potential scapegoat for the Republican party’s election bloodbath due to his role in doggedly pursuing the unpopular Iran war.

One Trump adviser said Hegseth “could be on the chopping block” as Republicans assessed their losses across the country.

Earlier, the Defence secretary ‌played down the ‌risks of impeachment and said he was ‌ready ‌to ⁠defend his record ​at the Pentagon.

“We’re not worried about that,” Hegseth said when ⁠asked ‌if he had ​enough Republican ​support to defeat ‌articles of impeachment.

US President Donald Trump is so far backing his Defence secretary Pete Hegseth. Photo: AAP

President Donald Trump has so far stood by Hegseth, who has faced mounting pressure since the Republicans’ heavy defeat in last week’s midterm elections.

The US and Israel launched their military campaign against Iran in late February.

Trump has justified the war by saying Iran must never be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon.

Democrats won back both chambers in the November 3 election, with the new Congress due to take office in January. Republicans retain narrow majorities in both chambers until then.

Impeaching Hegseth would require a simple House majority and send the case to the Senate for trial. Removing him from office would require a two-thirds Senate majority, a high threshold even after Democrats take control.

Massie’s bid could fail in the House or end in acquittal in the Senate. It was also unclear whether proceedings could carry over into the new Congress or whether procedural steps would have to begin again.

Massie also criticised Hegseth’s wider record as Pentagon chief.

He said Hegseth’s “constitutional violations extend beyond the illegal war in Iran.

He is abusing the power of his office to ignore congressional war powers resolutions, to kidnap foreign leaders, and to intimidate critics of the Trump administration by retaliating against them for exercising free speech.”

Hakeem Jeffries, the New York Democrat expected to become House speaker, has already identified Hegseth as a target of scrutiny and said he would be a “hard yes” on impeachment.

Massie played a key role in forcing the release of investigative files concerning convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Trump initially opposed their disclosure but eventually yielded to Congress.

-with AAP, Reuters and DPA