Washington: Democrats draft plan to remove Defense Secretary after midterms

House Democrats are preparing articles of impeachment to remove Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth from office, a process they plan to trigger if they gain a majority in the upcoming midterm elections. The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that the party is laying the groundwork now to move quickly once the new Congress convenes.

Hakeem Jeffries, the House Minority Leader, outlined the strategy at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. He told supporters that one of their first actions in the majority would be to force Hegseth out of his position. This statement marked the first explicit signal from the party’s top leadership that removal from office is a primary goal for the new legislative term.

Criticism of the defense secretary has been sharp on the Democratic side. Representative Pramila Jayapal described Hegseth as incompetent and corrupt during a recent television interview. Representative Jared Huffman used stronger language, calling the secretary an unhinged fanatic who should be impeached. These comments reflect a unified tone among Democratic lawmakers regarding Hegseth’s performance in the role.

The push for removal is not limited to the minority party. Republican Representative Thomas Massie filed his own articles of impeachment in September. Massie, a vocal critic of the war in Iran, accused Hegseth of abusing his office by ordering hostilities against Iran without approval from Congress. He intends to force a vote on these articles shortly after the House returns to session on November 9.

The political maneuvering coincides with increased scrutiny of Hegseth’s recent travels. The defense secretary held a secret meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Ovda air base in Israel on Monday. This visit occurred days before the Israeli general election. Hegseth confirmed the meeting took place but declined to discuss the specific details of their conversation.

According to reports, Iran was the main topic of the discussion between the two leaders. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz was present at the meeting. Senior military officials, including IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, were not invited to the session for reasons of confidentiality. The timing of the visit has added to the pressure on Hegseth ahead of the US elections.

The House is expected to return to work in early November. With the midterm results likely to determine which party controls the chamber, the stage is set for a potential vote on Hegseth’s fate within days of the election night count.