Senior Democrats are backing Republican Rep. Thomas Massie’s effort to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, suggesting the issue may persist after Democrats take control of Congress in January.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he strongly supported the resolution before Massie introduced it. The response from Democrats points to a broader interest in using congressional oversight to examine President Donald Trump’s administration once the new Congress is sworn in.
Massie described his proposal as a relatively mild version of what Democrats might pursue when they control Congress. Rep. Al Green of Texas, who has repeatedly introduced impeachment measures against Trump, also urged lawmakers to consider impeaching officials more broadly. He argued that failing to act against a president whom members have called impeachable would weaken both the Constitution and Congress.
Massie’s resolution lays out eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth. It accuses him of violating the War Powers Resolution in Iran and Yemen, failing to prevent civilian deaths, using lethal force unlawfully, restricting free speech and ordering the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro without congressional authorization.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer also called for action, saying the Senate should put Hegseth on trial and remove him over what Schumer described as a disastrous failure in Iran.
Some Democrats say removing Hegseth could help bring the conflict to an end. They argue that the war has gone beyond the president’s authority to deploy military force without a congressional declaration. Rep. Ro Khanna summed up his position in a brief call to impeach Hegseth and end the war.
Democratic calls for Hegseth to be impeached have been circulating for months. Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota has repeatedly said he should resign, arguing that his conduct has damaged the country’s standing and put national security at risk.
On Monday, Omar renewed her criticism, citing the war in Iran and U.S. strikes on boats near Venezuela that were alleged to be carrying narcotics. She accused Hegseth of abusing his office, conducting unlawful killings in the Caribbean and putting civilians in danger.
Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, also said Hegseth should resign. Meeks criticized his handling of the military and the dismissals of personnel, saying he would support impeachment if the matter came to a vote.
Asked whether Democrats should bring the issue back in January if Massie’s resolution fails, Meeks indicated he would keep pressing. He said he intended to investigate Hegseth’s role and the advice that led the country into what he called an illegal war.
Impeachment requires approval from the House. To remove Hegseth from office, the Senate would then have to convict him. A simple majority is enough to pass articles of impeachment in the House, but conviction in the Senate requires a two-thirds vote.
