Jeffries Backs Hegseth Impeachment

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York stated on Monday that he would support an impeachment effort against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The resolution is expected to be voted on in the House this week.

Jeffries gave the endorsement during an interview on ABC’s This Week. When asked if he would back Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky in his push to remove the Defense Secretary, Jeffries said he was a hard yes on the resolution. He described Hegseth as having abused his power and undermined national security.

The New York Democrat argued that the administration engineered a costly war in Iran. Jeffries said the conflict has raised prices for Americans and made the country less safe. He added that Hegseth has got to go.

Jeffries’ support provides a key signal for the rest of the House Democratic caucus. When asked if he believed all Democrats would vote for the impeachment, Jeffries said the group would have that conversation Tuesday morning. The House is back in session, and the resolution is expected to be filed early in the week.

Massie first filed the impeachment resolution in September. Republican leaders had canceled planned votes at that time, pushing the action until after the midterm elections. Massie remains a vocal critic of the Iran war and Hegseth’s leadership at the Pentagon.

Secretary Hegseth has resisted the effort. In a social media video last week, he called Massie a disgruntled, defeated congressman. Hegseth said the push was about the politics of personal destruction and that it would not work against him. Massie responded in a post that his resolution is a gentler version of what Democrats would do if they controlled Congress.

President Donald Trump has also weighed in on the situation. NBC News reported last week that the president told allies he was considering replacing Hegseth. Trump publicly denied the plan, telling reporters that the secretary was doing a very good job.