House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries Backs Pete Hegseth Impeachment

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) announced on Sunday, November 8, 2026 that he supports impeaching Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, setting the stage for a bipartisan War Powers confrontation as lawmakers return to Capitol Hill following the midterm elections.

Hakeem Jeffries Signals Caucus Support Ahead of Tuesday House Democratic Meeting

In a Sunday morning interview with ABC News This Week co-anchor Jonathan Karl, Jeffries was asked directly whether he would vote to impeach Hegseth if an impeachment resolution reaches the House floor during the lame-duck session. "I'm a hard yes," Jeffries replied, adding that Hegseth "should not be the secretary of defense."

Jeffries noted that the House Democratic Caucus is scheduled to hold a caucus-wide meeting on Tuesday morning when representatives reconvene in Washington, D.C. While declining to whip the count publicly before Tuesday's meeting, the minority leader said he anticipates "incredibly strong support" among House Democrats for advancing articles of impeachment.

Representative Thomas Massie Prepares Eight-Article Privileged Resolution Citing 1973 War Powers Act

The immediate procedural vehicle for a floor vote comes from outgoing Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky. Massie told ABC News that he plans to reintroduce a privileged impeachment resolution against Hegseth as early as Monday. Under House rules, once a member notices a privileged resolution, leadership must bring the measure up for floor consideration—or move to table or refer it—within 2 legislative days.

Massie first introduced the 8 articles of impeachment against Hegseth in May 2026, accusing the defense secretary of usurping congressional authority to declare war and violating the War Powers Resolution of 1973 by directing military hostilities in Iran without formal authorization from Congress. In May 2026, the Republican-led House voted along party lines to refer Massie's resolution to the House Judiciary Committee rather than holding a direct up-or-down vote on the articles.

President Donald Trump dismissed talk of replacing or impeaching Hegseth while speaking with reporters at the White House on Thursday, stating that the defense secretary has "done a fantastic job."