Top House Democrat Backs Impeachment of US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth

As political tension mounts in Washington, the top Democrat widely expected to become the next US House of Representatives Speaker has declared himself “a hard yes” on impeaching Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Speaking on ABC’s This Week, New York congressman Hakeem Jeffries accused Hegseth of abusing his power, undermining national security, and engineering a costly war of choice in Iran without proper authorization. Jeffries is favored to assume the role of Speaker when Democrats take control of Congress following a recent midterm victory.

The push for impeachment is anchored by outgoing Republican congressman Thomas Massie, a known critic of President Donald Trump. Massie introduced a resolution containing eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth, alleging violations of the War Powers Resolution of 1973. With Democrats securing a solid majority in the House, the chamber possesses the numbers required to pass the articles.

President Donald Trump has strongly defended his Pentagon chief, dismissing the impeachment push as unfair political theater. Trump asserted that his administration successfully concluded military campaigns in Venezuela and Iran, and that critics were resorting to personal destruction.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon has maintained that it operated within the bounds of the law, labeling the congressional investigation as phony. Hegseth himself released a video addressing the threat, declaring that the political attacks would ultimately fail just as they did against President Trump.

Despite having enough votes to clear the House, securing a conviction in the Senate remains a significant hurdle. Removing an official from office requires a two-thirds majority in the Senate, meaning Democrats would need substantial Republican backing to achieve an ouster.

For more details on this developing story, read the original report on Nile Post.