Hakeem Jeffries endorsed impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on November 8, 2026.
Why it matters: The backing could make Hegseth a central target of the next Congress's oversight agenda. A House vote would impeach or charge Hegseth, not remove him; removal would require conviction by two-thirds of senators present.
- Jeffries called himself a "hard yes" on the Hegseth resolution on November 8.
- Rep. Thomas Massie planned to reintroduce the privileged resolution as early as November 9, according to AP.
- The proposed articles allege misconduct involving military operations and congressional oversight, as well as retaliation against Sen. Mark Kelly, according to the Congressional Record.
- Democrats won control of both chambers on November 3 and are preparing investigations into several areas, according to AP.
On November 8, 2026, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries endorsed impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, after Democrats won control of both chambers in the November 3 election, according to AP. The House would still need to elect its speaker; Jeffries' election result does not itself make him speaker.
"I'm a hard yes on the Hegseth resolution," Jeffries told ABC News. He accused Hegseth of abusing power, undermining national security and engineering an unauthorized and costly war in Iran. Hegseth has rejected the effort as a "sham" driven by "the politics of personal destruction," while the Pentagon said he would continue leading the department.
The immediate vehicle is a privileged resolution that Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, planned to reintroduce as early as November 9, according to AP. The plan remained pending as of November 8. Such resolutions generally require House leadership to schedule action within two legislative days.
Massie introduced eight articles in September. The Congressional Record describes alleged misconduct related to military operations and congressional oversight, along with alleged retaliation against Sen. Mark Kelly.
Jeffries said Democrats would discuss the resolution when lawmakers returned to Washington on November 10 and predicted "incredibly strong support." The available sources do not establish how many Democrats support it.
AP reported that Democrats are preparing inquiries into the Trump family's business dealings, immigration enforcement, federal agency closures, alleged corruption, foreign policy, the Iran war and the Justice Department's handling of the Epstein investigation.
Under the House's impeachment framework, articles require a simple majority. Impeachment would charge Hegseth but would not remove him. Removal would require conviction by a two-thirds vote of senators present, according to the Senate.
By the numbers
- 8 - impeachment articles Massie introduced in September
- 2 legislative days - the general scheduling window for privileged resolutions
- Two-thirds - the share of senators present required to convict and remove an impeached official
Yes, but: The sources do not establish whether the House will ultimately vote on the resolution, how many Democrats support it, or whether the Senate would convict Hegseth.
What's next: Massie planned to reintroduce the resolution as early as November 9. Jeffries said Democrats would discuss it when lawmakers returned to Washington on November 10.