Hakeem Jeffries backs effort to impeach Pete Hegseth

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said on Sunday, Nov. 8, that he strongly supports impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, according to NBC News. The endorsement came as Rep. Thomas Massie prepared to bring an impeachment resolution back to the House, where a vote was expected during the week.

Jeffries made the statement in an interview on ABC’s “This Week,” NBC reported. Asked if he supported the effort by Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, Jeffries called himself a “hard yes” on the resolution. He accused Hegseth of abusing his power and undermining national security; those are Jeffries’ allegations, not findings established by the reports.

• Jeffries endorsed Massie’s impeachment resolution on Sunday.
• The resolution was expected to be filed early in the week, with a House vote to follow.
• House Democrats were due to discuss the measure Tuesday morning; their position had not been settled in the reporting.

What happens to Massie’s impeachment resolution

Massie had filed an impeachment resolution in September, but Republican leaders canceled planned votes and the House left early, postponing consideration until after the midterm elections, NBC reported. The latest effort revives that push. NewsJaws previously covered Massie’s proposal to impeach Hegseth over the Iran war.

What it means for Hegseth and House Democrats

Jeffries said Democrats would discuss the resolution at a Tuesday morning meeting and predicted “incredibly strong support,” according to NBC and the Guardian. His endorsement signals his own position; the reports did not establish how the caucus would ultimately vote or whether the House would approve the measure.

Hegseth had rejected the impeachment effort in a social media video the previous week, calling it “politics of personal destruction” and describing Massie as a “disgruntled, defeated congressman,” NBC reported. Massie, in turn, called his resolution a “much gentler version” of what he said Democrats would pursue if they controlled Congress, including hearings and trials.

Republican Rep. French Hill said he wanted to hear debate before deciding whether impeachment was warranted or whether another disciplinary action was appropriate, CBS reported. The Guardian placed the renewed pressure on Hegseth after Republican losses in the midterm elections, with the Iran war identified by Trump and voters as a major factor in the party’s defeat. Rep. Yassamin Ansari had also introduced a separate impeachment resolution in April, NBC reported.