Democrats in the United States House of Representatives filed articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday, citing the war in Iran and his handling of the Pentagon.
The resolution, led by Rep. Yassamin Ansari of Arizona, is supported by Reps. Nikema Williams (Georgia), Dina Titus (Nevada), Dave Min (California), Lauren Underwood (Illinois), Steve Cohen (Tennessee), and Jasmine Crockett (Texas), among others.
The six impeachment articles include Obstruction of congressional oversight; Abuse of power and politicization of the armed forces; and Conduct bringing disrepute upon the U.S. and its armed forces.
Others are Violations of the law of armed conflict and targeting of civilians; Reckless handling of sensitive military information; and Unauthorized war against Iran and endangerment of U.S. service members.
The resolution accuses Hegseth of deliberately disregarding the Constitution, abusing the powers of his office, and “acting in a manner grossly incompatible with the rule of law.”
It said the Secretary prevented the use of military force “in a manner inconsistent with the law,” causing civilian casualties, including the death of 168 people after the February 28 bombing of a girls’ school in Minab.
The articles accuse Hegseth of withholding information on the Venezuela and Iran operations, as well as “gross negligence,” regarding the sharing of U.S. military operations in Yemen in a private Signal group.
The lawmakers condemned Hegseth’s “no quarter, no mercy for our enemies” remark about Iran, noting that such utterances raise concerns about violations of the Geneva Conventions and other binding obligations.
The U.S. House is responsible for approving impeachment articles, while the Senate is tasked with presiding over a trial to determine whether the accused is guilty and should be ousted from office.
Although the move against Hegseth could be opposed by the Republicans, who hold a narrow majority, the Democrats could resume the push if the party takes control of the chamber after the midterm elections.
The Pentagon, in a statement, said the Democrats were “trying to make headlines” as the Department of War “decisively and overwhelmingly” achieves President Donald Trump’s objectives in Iran.
Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson called the resolution “another charade” aimed at distracting Americans from the Department’s successes, adding that “Secretary Hegseth will continue to protect the homeland.”
