November 9, 2026
The Democratic leader in the US House of Representatives, Hakeem Jeffries, representing New York State, announced his categorical support for efforts to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, on the eve of the expected vote on the draft resolution this week.
In an interview with the “This Week” program on the American “ABC” network, Jeffries was asked about his support for the efforts led by Republican Representative Thomas Massie, representing the state of Kentucky, to remove Hegseth from his position, and he affirmed his unequivocal support, saying: “I strongly support the decision to remove Hegseth. The so-called Secretary of Defense has abused his powers, undermined our national security, and orchestrated this reckless and costly war that was chosen to wage against Iran, which has caused a rise in… “The prices have dramatically increased on Americans, and made the country less safe,” he said, adding decisively: “Pete Hegseth must go.”
Jeffries’ position constitutes a strong political impetus for the efforts to hold the Minister of Defense accountable and remove him, and is also a clear indication of the direction of the Democratic representatives’ votes during the awaited vote. These developments come at a time when these moves are testing the willingness of American lawmakers to move forward with the removal of Hegseth, against the backdrop of voters’ negative assessment of the performance of President Donald Trump’s administration in dealing with the war with Iran, an issue that cast a shadow over the results of the midterm congressional elections.
In response to a question about whether other Democratic representatives would support the resolution, Jeffries explained that his party “will have this discussion on Tuesday morning.” The House of Representatives is scheduled to resume its sessions this week to formally present the draft resolution and subject it to a vote, amid mounting political pressure on the Minister of Defense, and the Democratic leadership’s emphasis on coordinating the positions of its members in advance.
This strong return to the issue of impeachment comes after it was launched by Republican Representative Thomas Massie, the most prominent critic of Hegseth and the war in Iran, when he presented a draft resolution last September. Although the Republican leadership canceled the vote at that time and ended the Council’s work early to postpone a decision on the issue until after the elections, the political battle returns to the forefront again in light of a different political climate.
On the other hand, the White House’s position is surrounded by ambiguity. Last week, ABC revealed that President Donald Trump informed his allies that he was studying the idea of replacing Hegseth, while Trump publicly denied any intention to dismiss him, assuring reporters that the minister was “doing a very good job.” In an excerpt from an interview with “60 Minutes” that aired Friday evening, Trump renewed his confidence in Hegseth, saying: “Yes, I trust him. Look, we won two wars… in less than an hour.” When asked if he gave credit for that to his Secretary of Defense, he replied: “No, but he was part of it.”
