Impeachment vote for Hegseth targeted for week after midterms

House Democrats are preparing to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth if they secure a majority in the upcoming midterm elections. The party plans to launch the process immediately after taking control of the chamber, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.

Hakeem Jeffries, the House Minority Leader, outlined the strategy during a rally in Pennsylvania earlier this month. He stated that the new majority would move to remove Hegseth from office. Jeffries told supporters, “One of the first things we're going to do in the majority, we're going to run Pete Hegseth out of town.”

Other Democratic lawmakers have voiced similar sentiments. Pramila Jayapal described Hegseth as “incompetent and, frankly, corrupt” during a CNN interview. Jared Huffman called the Secretary an “unhinged fanatic who should be impeached and removed from office.”

Support for removal is not limited to Democrats. Republican Rep. Thomas Massie filed articles of impeachment against Hegseth in September. Massie accused the Secretary of abusing his office by executing orders for hostilities against Iran without congressional approval. Massie intends to force a vote on the articles shortly after the House returns to session on Nov. 9.

The legislative push coincides with heightened scrutiny of Hegseth’s foreign activities. The Defense Secretary held a covert meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Ovda air base on Monday. The meeting took place days before Israel’s election. Hegseth confirmed the visit but declined to elaborate on the details.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz reportedly attended the session. IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and other senior officials were excluded for confidentiality reasons. According to reports, the primary topic of discussion at the meeting was Iran.

The midterm elections are scheduled for the week prior to Nov. 9. The House will reconvene on that date to resume business. The outcome of the vote will determine whether Democrats have the numbers to initiate the impeachment process immediately.