House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries announced Sunday that he is a "hard yes" on impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, accusing him of abusing power and undermining national security.
"The so-called secretary of defense has abused his power, undermined our national security and engineered this reckless and costly war of choice in Iran," Jeffries said in an interview on ABC's "This Week." "Pete Hegseth has got to go."
Jeffries' statement comes as a resolution to impeach Hegseth, introduced by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), is gaining traction. Following recent elections where Democrats secured control of both chambers of Congress, House GOP leaders anticipate enough defections to pass the measure, according to Axios. Many departing members may feel they have little to lose, contributing to the potential passage.
House Democrats are scheduled to discuss the impeachment resolution during their caucus meeting. An unnamed adviser within the administration told Axios last week that Hegseth was "definitely on thin ice." However, President Trump has publicly supported Hegseth, stating on Wednesday that the secretary is "doing a very good job."
Hegseth himself has dismissed the impeachment articles as a "sham" and referred to Massie as a "disgruntled, defeated congressman" in a video posted to X on Thursday.