Jeffries Backs Hegseth Impeachment as Massie Pushes House Vote This Week

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Sunday that he supports impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, putting the top House Democrat behind a resolution that Republican Rep. Thomas Massie plans to bring to the floor this week. Jeffries made the announcement on ABC's "This Week."

Jeffries, D-N.Y., called himself a “hard yes.” NBC News described his backing as a major endorsement that signals how other House Democrats could vote. President Donald Trump and Hegseth have both rejected the push.

The case Jeffries and Massie are making

Jeffries accused Hegseth of abusing his power and weakening national security. He also said Hegseth engineered a costly war of choice in Iran that, in Jeffries' telling, drove up prices for Americans and left the country less safe. “Pete Hegseth has got to go,” he said.

Asked whether the entire Democratic caucus would follow him, Jeffries said members would discuss it Tuesday morning, when they gather in Washington for the first time since the midterm election. He said he expects “incredibly strong support,” according to ABC News.

Massie, an outgoing Kentucky Republican who has often clashed with Trump, told ABC News he intends to reintroduce a privileged resolution as early as Monday. ABC reported that such a move requires House leaders to schedule a vote within two legislative days. The resolution contains eight articles of impeachment, including allegations that Hegseth violated the War Powers Resolution of 1973.

NBC News reported that Massie filed a similar resolution in September, but Republican leaders canceled planned votes and the House left early, pushing the matter past the election. Rep. Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz., introduced her own impeachment resolution in April. After Jeffries spoke, she urged colleagues to bring the issue to the floor this week.

How Hegseth and Trump are responding

Hegseth answered in a video posted to social media last week. He dismissed the articles as a sham from a disgruntled, defeated congressman and his Democratic allies. He compared the effort to the two impeachments of Trump and said it was driven by personal destruction and would fail.

Trump has publicly stood by his defense secretary. ABC News reported that the president told reporters Hegseth has done a fantastic job and said he intends to keep him. The Guardian reported that Trump rejected a question about replacing Hegseth. NBC News reported separately that Trump has told allies he was considering replacing Hegseth, though he has denied that publicly.

The Guardian also quoted a Republican close to the White House, speaking to CNN, who said Hegseth has been either dishonest or incorrect about timelines, goals and objectives in the war. That person said that if Trump wants someone to take responsibility, it should be Hegseth.

Why it matters for the new Congress

The vote will show how many House members are willing to go after a Cabinet official over the Iran war, which NBC News said voters rated poorly and which factored into the midterm results. The Guardian reported that both Trump and voters identified the war as a major factor in Republican losses.

Jeffries, who ABC News said is likely to become speaker in January, also named ending the war among his party's priorities. Others include lowering costs for housing, groceries, gas and health care, stopping tariffs and reversing Medicaid and SNAP cuts.

The Guardian reported that Democrats have promised to investigate Hegseth's handling of the Pentagon. Aides say that could cover the Iran war, the removal of top military officers including the chair of the joint chiefs of staff, Ukraine policy and U.S. strikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats in Latin American waters. Some Democrats say those strikes could amount to war crimes. Massie said on social media that his resolution is a gentler version of what is coming once Democrats control Congress, which he said would bring hearings and trials.

What happens next

• Massie says he could reintroduce the resolution as early as Monday.
• House Democrats meet Tuesday morning to discuss their position.
• A floor vote is expected to follow later this week, according to NBC News.

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Around Prague, based on reporting by ABC News, The Guardian, NBC News