House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Sunday he would vote to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, giving the push to remove the Pentagon chief its most prominent Democratic backer yet.
Jeffries told ABC’s “This Week” he is a “hard yes” on the impeachment resolution, and accused Hegseth of abusing his authority and weakening national security. He pointed to the war in Iran, which he called a reckless and costly war of choice.
The statement marks a shift. Two days earlier, Jeffries had stopped short of endorsing impeachment, telling NPR he did not want to get ahead of his caucus. He has called for Hegseth to be fired since the spring of 2025.
The vehicle for a vote is likely to be a resolution from Representative Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican. Massie filed eight articles of impeachment in September, accusing Hegseth of violating the War Powers Resolution over the Iran war, and said he would reintroduce the resolution as early as Monday, November 9.
House Democrats meet in Washington on Tuesday, November 10, to discuss the resolution. Jeffries said he expects incredibly strong support among his members. President Donald Trump has defended Hegseth, saying he has every intention of keeping him in the post.
Democrats won majorities in both chambers in the November 3 midterm elections, and Jeffries is expected to become Speaker when the new Congress convenes in January 2027. A House vote to impeach needs only a simple majority. Conviction in the Senate would need a two-thirds vote.
Source: The New York Times
