House Democrats introduced impeachment articles against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, accusing him of abuse of power and other serious misconduct.
WASHINGTON โ House Democrats introduced six articles of impeachment Wednesday against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, accusing him of abuse of power, war crimes and other serious wrongdoing.
The resolution, led by Rep. Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz., lists charges including an unauthorized war against Iran and reckless endangerment of U.S. service members, violations of the law of armed conflict and targeting of civilians, and negligence in the handling of sensitive military information.
A preliminary investigation found U.S. forces accidentally struck a girls’ elementary school, killing more than 175 people, though a formal inquiry is not yet complete.
The seven-page resolution also cites the “Signalgate” controversy, in which Hegseth shared details about U.S. military operations in Yemen in a private Signal group chat, saying he “demonstrated gross negligence in the handling of sensitive and classified military information.”
The remaining articles accuse Hegseth of obstructing congressional oversight, abusing his power and politicizing the armed forces, and a broader charge of bringing “disrepute” upon the United States and its military.
Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson was dismissive, calling the move “just another Democrat trying to make headlines as the Department of War decisively and overwhelmingly achieved the President’s objectives in Iran,” according to CBS News.
The measure has virtually no chance of passing the current Congress, where Republicans hold the majority; however, Democratic sponsors could renew their efforts if the party takes control of the chamber following the midterm elections.
While the resolution is unlikely to move forward, it continues a pattern. In January, Congress introduced three articles of impeachment against former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and Trump fired her less than two months later. The same happened to former Attorney General Pam Bondi, when Congress filed five articles in March and she was ousted just weeks afterward.
Impeachment is the first step in removing executive and judicial branch officials from office. The House is responsible for approving impeachment articles, which are akin to charges in an indictment. The Senate then holds a trial to determine whether the accused should be removed. Only two Cabinet officials have ever been impeached: Secretary of War William Belknap in 1876 and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in 2024.
