House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Sunday he is a “hard yes” on impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, blaming him for the war in Iran and calling for him to leave office.
“I’m a hard yes on the Hegseth resolution. The so-called secretary of defense has abused his power, undermined our national security, and engineered this reckless and costly war of choice in Iran, which has skyrocketed prices on the American people and made the country less safe,” Jeffries said on ABC’s This Week. “Pete Hegseth has got to go.”
Asked by co-anchor Jonathan Karl whether he is confident all House Democrats will join him in supporting the potential resolution, Jeffries said his conference will “have that conversation” on Tuesday morning, when members convene in Washington for the first time since the midterm election.
“But I believe there will be incredibly strong support for that resolution,” Jeffries said.
Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, an outgoing Republican who has often clashed with President Donald Trump, told ABC News he intends to reintroduce a privileged resolution to impeach Hegseth as early as Monday. Raising a question of privilege on the House floor requires leaders to schedule a vote within two legislative days.
Massie’s resolution contains eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth, accusing the defense secretary of violating the War Powers Resolution of 1973, along with other alleged offenses.
Trump has defended Hegseth, telling reporters Thursday that he has “done a fantastic job.” The president also told Karl the same day, “I have every intention to keep him.”
Hegseth defended himself Thursday in a video posted on social media. “A disgruntled, defeated congressman, along with all his Democrat allies, has also dropped sham articles of impeachment against yours truly, just like they tried against President Trump twice,” Hegseth said. “It’s all about the politics of personal destruction — didn’t work against President Trump, and it won’t work with me.”
The comments come after Democrats won control of both the House and the Senate in Tuesday’s midterms, a result widely linked in part to voter anger over the Iran war. In late October, Jeffries had denounced Hegseth and said a Democratic House would “run Pete Hegseth out of town,” but he had stopped short of endorsing impeachment. Sunday’s “hard yes” is his clearest public commitment yet.