House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries has stated that he intends to support the efforts of Republican Rep. Thomas Massie to impeach the Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth. Massie delivered a formal notice of his intent to force a vote on the matter in the House of Representatives this week.
When asked on ABC’s “This Week” whether he would support Massie in his efforts to impeach Hegseth, Jeffries, who is expected to become House Speaker, confirmed he would, telling the hosts, “I’m a hard yes on the Hegseth resolution.” The House minority leader went on to say that “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.” He reiterated that “Pete Hegseth has got to go.”
Jeffries was also asked whether he believed that House Democrats would also support the potential resolution, to which he said he would “have that conversation” when members reconvene in Washington for the first time since the midterms. Jeffries also stated his belief that “there will be incredibly strong support for that resolution.” The remarks suggest the Democrats could vote in favor of impeaching Hegseth.
Thomas Massie’s resolution against Pete Hegseth
Thomas Massie’s resolution contains eight articles of impeachment against the Secretary of Defense. One of the accusations against Hegseth is violating the War Powers Resolution of 1973, among other accusations. Massie introduced articles of impeachment against Hegseth today after previously filing a resolution to impeach the Secretary of Defense in September.
The move from Massie will see both Democrats and Republicans in the House of Representatives vote on whether to impeach Hegseth as soon as this week.
Donald Trump has publicly defended Hegseth, telling reporters last week that he believed he was “doing a very good job.” However, NBC also reported last week that the president had told his allies that he was considering a replacement for Hegseth. This comes amid growing speculation that Trump may make an example of Hegseth after his defeat in the midterms, according to ABC.
On Thursday, Hegseth defended himself against Massie. In a video posted to social media, he labeled the Republican Rep. “a disgruntled, defeated congressman” and accused him of dropping “sham articles of impeachment against yours truly.” The former Fox News contributor compared the impeachment efforts to the president, saying, “Didn’t work against President Trump, and it won’t work with me. You can rest assured of that.”
Massie also took to social media, where he said that the “Hegseth impeachment resolution is a much gentler version of what’s coming when Dem’s control Congress.” He claimed that Democrats would “have hearings & trials.”
Published: Nov 9, 2026 05:30 pm