The walls appear to be closing in on a senior member of President Donald Trump’s cabinet as a growing number of House lawmakers indicate they’re ready to move forward with impeachment proceedings as the possibility of Democrats seizing control of Congress’ lower chamber becomes more likely, Punchbowl News reported Tuesday.
That senior cabinet member is Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who’s faced growing bipartisan scrutiny for a number of scandals, chief among them his handling of the deeply unpopular U.S. war against Iran that has left 23 U.S. service members killed and nearly 900 wounded. At least 1,700 Iranian civilians have been killed.
“Hegseth is in trouble. There may be nothing Pete Hegseth can do to save himself from eventually being impeached by the House,” Punchbowl News’ report reads.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) launched an effort last month to impeach Hegseth but was thwarted after House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) canceled House proceedings early ahead of the midterms.
Now, with Democrats poised to retake control of the House next month, and with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) making “accountability for Hegseth a key component,” Punchbowl News noted, of Democrats’ post-midterm agenda, Hegseth may be out of options to stave off an impeachment.
“Pete Hegseth is bringing shame and dishonor to our country,” said Democratic congressional candidate William Lawrence, speaking with Punchbowl News about his intention to support impeachment proceedings against Hegseth.
Democrats have already laid the groundwork. In April, Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ) introduced six articles of impeachment accusing Hegseth of “high crimes and misdemeanors,” including waging war on Iran without congressional approval, withholding information about military operations from Congress and authorizing or condoning strikes inconsistent with the law of armed conflict, including one on a girls’ school in Minab, Iran, that killed at least 156 people, including 120 children.