House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat, says a Democratic House would move against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth early in 2027. Speaking at a campaign stop earlier this month, he said, "One of the first things we're going to do in the majority, we're going to run Pete Hegseth out of town." 2
Jeffries did not use the word impeachment in that remark, according to Responsible Statecraft. 2 He has also said Hegseth should be fired and that Democrats "haven't ruled anything out" in their investigations, Semafor reported. 3
A Republican also wants a vote
Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, has introduced articles of impeachment against Hegseth over the Iran war. His resolution is expected to get a vote shortly after the midterms. 2 Massie wrote on X: "Trump should fire Hegseth to avoid Hegseth's impeachment." 2
Political Wire, citing the Wall Street Journal, reported that Democratic lawmakers are ready to act "as soon as they can." It said a vote is expected next month while Republicans still control the House, with another try next year if Democrats win the majority. 1 Those details come from unnamed lawmakers and have not been confirmed on the record.
From Channel GOPImpeachment vote: Why Republicans avoided the issueHakeem Jeffries · 1.4K plays · captioned, with the source named
Rep. Yassamin Ansari, an Arizona Democrat, filed her own articles of impeachment in April 2026. She accused Hegseth of "high crimes and misdemeanours" for launching the Iran war without congressional authorization. 2
Where Democrats stand
Rep. Melanie Stansbury, a New Mexico Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, told Semafor, "I 100% believe Pete Hegseth needs to be impeached and removed from office." She wants it to be one of the caucus's "top three priorities" next year. 3
Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet of Michigan, whose district Trump won, said, "I think there's a lot he needs to answer for." 3 Rep. Adam Smith of Washington, the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, has signaled he could back Massie's resolution. 3
Democratic leaders are more cautious about the president. Political Wire, citing the Wall Street Journal, said leaders and swing-district candidates have avoided committing to a third impeachment of President Trump, seeing it as possibly counterproductive. 1 Semafor likewise reported that House Democratic leaders are cautious about impeaching Trump. 3
What happens next
Impeachment in the House takes a majority vote. Removal takes a two-thirds vote in the Senate, which Republicans control. 3 The House has impeached only two Cabinet secretaries, most recently Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in 2024. 3
The first test could come within weeks, if Massie forces his vote after Election Day. 2 The larger one comes if Democrats win the House on Nov. 3. Then Jeffries' pledge becomes a question of committee subpoenas, hearings and floor votes.
That matters because it shows what oversight could look like in 2027. Democrats are signaling they would start with the Pentagon and the Iran war, not with the president himself. The pattern is a party trying to stay on cost-of-living issues while promising accountability. Lawmakers like Rep. Analilia Mejia of New Jersey say they want to balance the two. 3
The Record
- Rep. Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz., filed articles of impeachment against Hegseth over the Iran war; the report gives only the month, April 2026 2
- Semafor reported that House Democratic leaders were cautious about impeaching Trump but many Democrats backed targeting Hegseth 3
- Political Wire and Responsible Statecraft reported Jeffries' pledge to 'run Pete Hegseth out of town' 12
Sources
- Political Wire, “House Democrats Target Hegseth for Impeachment” (2026-10-23). politicalwire.com/2026/10/23/house-democrats-target-hegseth-
- Responsible Statecraft, “If Dems win big in midterms, Hegseth's head could roll” (2026-10-23). responsiblestatecraft.org/pete-hegseth-impeachment/
- Semafor, “Democrats unite around Hegseth impeachment push” (2026-10-09). semafor.com/article/10/09/2026/democrats-unite-around-hegset
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