In a striking escalation of political tensions, the leading Democrat poised to become the next Speaker of the US House of Representatives has declared his unequivocal support for impeaching Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. Hakeem Jeffries, the New York congressman who is set to lead the chamber when Democrats assume control in January, told ABC's This Week on Sunday that he is "a hard yes" on the matter.
Jeffries accused Hegseth of abusing his power, undermining national security, and engineering what he described as a reckless and costly war of choice in Iran. His comments come as outgoing Republican congressman Thomas Massie, a frequent critic of President Donald Trump, announced plans to introduce a resolution to impeach Hegseth as early as Monday.
A Defining Moment for Accountability
The resolution, which contains eight articles of impeachment, accuses Hegseth of violating the War Powers Resolution of 1973 through America's role in the conflict with Iran. Massie's move sets the stage for a contentious battle in the newly configured Congress, which returns this week following the Democrats' landslide victory in the midterm elections.
Jeffries, who is the favourite to become House Speaker, has vowed that Democrats will act as a check and balance on the Trump administration. However, he has also indicated that impeaching President Trump himself is not currently a priority, despite Trump's two impeachments during his first term.
In response to the impeachment threat, Hegseth released a nearly six-minute video last week urging Congress to approve the Pentagon's latest military budget request before the Republican-controlled legislature's final days end. In the clip, he dismissed Massie's effort as "sham articles" and accused his opponents of political theatre.
"Their policies don't work," Hegseth said. "So their obsession with political theatre disguised as power drives them to try to destroy their opponents. It's all about the politics of personal destruction. Didn't work against President Trump and it won't work with me."
The Pentagon, in a statement to the BBC, insisted that it had followed the law and that Hegseth would not be deterred by what it called "phony investigations."
Numbers and Implications
With more races still to be called, Democrats hold a 254-seat majority in the House, comfortably above the 218 threshold needed to pass articles of impeachment. However, they will fall well short of the two-thirds Senate majority required to remove an official from office, meaning that even if the House impeaches Hegseth, conviction in the Senate is highly unlikely.
Still, the move signals a more confrontational approach from Democrats as they prepare to take control of the House. Jeffries' comments underscore the party's determination to hold the administration accountable, particularly on matters of war and national security.
As Congress reconvenes, all eyes will be on Massie's resolution and the ensuing debate, which is set to further polarise an already divided political landscape.
