House Democrats Finalize Impeachment Case Against Defense Secretary Ahead of Midterms

House Democrats have completed the drafting of articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a move that will trigger a formal vote in the chamber during the week following the midterm elections.

According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, the party intends to initiate the removal process immediately if it secures a majority in the House. The timeline aligns with plans by Republican Representative Thomas Massie to force a vote on the matter shortly after the House returns to session on November 9.

Massie, who filed his own articles of impeachment in September, argues that Hegseth abused his authority by ordering hostilities against Iran without congressional approval. The Republican lawmaker has positioned the vote as a direct response to the defense secretary’s conduct in the Middle East.

Democratic leadership has signaled its intent to remove Hegseth from office if the election results favor their party. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries stated at a rally in Pennsylvania that one of the first actions of a Democratic majority would be to "run Pete Hegseth out of town."

Other members of the caucus have used stronger language to describe the secretary’s performance. Representative Pramila Jayapal characterized Hegseth as "incompetent and, frankly, corrupt" in a CNN interview, while Representative Jared Huffman labeled him an "unhinged fanatic who should be impeached and removed from office."

The impeachment preparations coincide with a covert meeting between Hegseth and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Israel's Ovda air base on Monday. The session occurred days before the Israeli election and included Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz. IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and other senior military officials were excluded for confidentiality.

Hegseth confirmed the visit took place but declined to elaborate on the specific topics discussed. According to KAN News, the primary focus of the conversation was Iran. The meeting added to the scrutiny surrounding the defense secretary’s foreign policy decisions as the House prepares for the post-election session.