The key facts
- Hakeem Jeffries said on ABC that he is a hard yes on the resolution to impeach Pete Hegseth
- Thomas Massie is preparing a resolution with eight articles of impeachment, including violation of the 1973 War Powers Resolution
- Democrats hold 254 seats in the House — enough for impeachment, but two thirds of the Senate are lacking for removal
Jeffries backs the impeachment resolution
Hakeem Jeffries — the frontrunner for Speaker of the House of Representatives, which Democrats will lead after winning the midterm elections — said on Sunday on ABC's This Week that he is a hard yes on impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Pete Hegseth must go, he said, accusing the Pentagon chief of abuse of power, undermining national security, and launching a reckless and costly war of choice against Iran. According to Life.ru, Jeffries also linked the conflict with Iran to rising prices for Americans. The question of the caucus's support for the initiative, he said, will be discussed at the Democrats' meeting on Tuesday, where he expects very broad support.
Who is pushing the resolution and on what charges
The impeachment resolution is to be introduced as early as Monday by outgoing Republican Thomas Massie — an opponent of Donald Trump. The document contains eight articles, including a charge of violating the 1973 War Powers Resolution over the US role in the war with Iran. The Pentagon told the BBC in a comment that it acted within the law and that Hegseth will not be deterred by sham investigations. The secretary himself earlier released a nearly six-minute video in which he urged Congress to pass a new defense budget before the end of the Republican majority's term and called the forthcoming articles sham articles: It did not work against President Trump — and it will not work against me.
What this standoff means in practical terms
The vote count determines the limits of the possible: Democrats, according to BBC calculations with not all districts yet closed, hold 254 seats in the House — well above the 218 needed to adopt articles of impeachment. However, removing an official from office requires two thirds of the Senate, which Democrats clearly will not have. In other words, Massie's resolution may pass the House but will not lead to Hegseth's resignation. At the same time, Jeffries stressed that the House is not yet focused on impeaching Trump himself, who was impeached twice during his first term. According to Life.ru, citing the newspaper, Hegseth intends to keep his post until the end of Trump's presidential term, is not considering a move to the Senate, and is ready to defend the department's decisions — including the actions in Iran, personnel changes in the armed forces leadership, and changes to the Pentagon's internal policy.
