Democrats Plan Hegseth Impeachment Push After Midterms

Congressional Democrats are aligning to push for the impeachment or resignation of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth if they regain control of the House in the November 3 midterm elections. Lawmakers view targeting Hegseth as a politically safer alternative to impeaching President Donald Trump, allowing them to address base demands without risking accusations of overreach.

Hegseth faces accusations of being a dangerous war criminal based on his management of the war with Iran, alleged violations of international law, and a controversial proposal to livestream the military execution of Nidal Hasan. While House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has stated Hegseth should be fired, some Democrats may support an existing ouster resolution filed by Republican Representative Thomas Massie, which alleges extrajudicial killings and violations of war powers.

The United States Department of Defense has defended the secretary, asserting that he has slashed bureaucracy and delivered for warfighters. Any successful removal would require a House majority for impeachment and a two-thirds majority in the Senate for conviction.