Jeffries backs impeaching Hegseth as Democrats prepare to take House control

Massie measure accuses Hegseth of violating 1973 War Powers Resolution over Iran

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said Sunday that he supports impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, backing a resolution that Representative Thomas Massie, an outgoing Republican, plans to introduce as early as Monday.

“I’m a hard yes on the Hegseth resolution,” Jeffries told ABC’s This Week. “Pete Hegseth has got to go,” he continued.

Jeffries, a New York congressman who serves as the Democratic minority leader in Congress, said Hegseth had “abused his power, undermined our national security, and engineered this reckless and costly war of choice in Iran.”

Massie’s resolution contains eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth, including an accusation that he violated the War Powers Resolution of 1973 for America’s role in the war with Iran.

Congress returns to session this week after the Democrats’ midterm elections landslide, with the party set to take control of Congress in January.

Jeffries is the favorite to become the next House speaker — the most powerful member of the lower chamber of Congress — and has vowed that the newly empowered Democrats will serve as a check and balance on the Trump administration.

But he said after the midterm results that House Democrats are not currently focused on impeaching Trump himself.

The BBC reported that it asked the Pentagon for comment.