Hakeem Jeffries and Thomas Massie Push to Oust Pete Hegseth

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY) are pressuring President Donald Trump to remove Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth from office. Jeffries signaled that Democrats intend to remove the Pentagon chief if they secure the House majority in the November midterm elections, stating that Hegseth needs to be pushed aside or Democrats will have to deal with the situation.

Representative Massie pledged to reintroduce eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth during the lame duck session. Massie originally filed these articles on September 15, alleging that Hegseth illegally conducted the war against Iran, caused unnecessary civilian casualties, and defied congressional orders to withdraw. House Speaker Mike Johnson previously halted the impeachment process on September 16, calling the effort a stunt.

Democratic Representative Jason Crow added that ousting Hegseth would be his top priority if Democrats retake the House, arguing that service members deserve competent leadership. Meanwhile, the White House and the Pentagon defended Hegseth, citing the results of Operations Epic Fury, Absolute Resolve, and Midnight Hammer. The administration has also renamed the Defense Department the Department of War without congressional approval and is now urging Congress to formalize the name change in law.