Democrats Push Impeachment and Possible Ouster of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth

Democratic leaders in the House and Senate are preparing to use the post-midterm lame-duck session to press for the removal of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. House Democrats have filed six articles of impeachment and say they will reintroduce them after the November elections. Senate Democrats are threatening to block emergency defense funding and a waiver for Navy nominee Hung Cao unless Hegseth steps down, using his ouster as leverage in broader defense-policy negotiations.

The HillPentagon officials ready to 'spill their guts' to impeach Pete Hegseth Unherd

Hegseth took the Pentagon’s top civilian post in January 2025 and has pursued an aggressive transformation agenda, including record recruitment and a “Peace Through Strength” narrative. President Donald Trump has praised Hegseth, calling him a “central-casting” military leader. His tenure has seen high-profile personnel changes—removing Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, Army Chief of Staff Randy George, Navy Secretary John Phelan, and Gen. Chris Donahue—and the “Signalgate” leak of military plans.

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• A September poll showed 32 % approval and 57 % disapproval of Hegseth’s performance.

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• The Defense Department’s recruiting record was set under Hegseth; the annual defense appropriations bill expires on Dec. 11.

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• Senate Democrats have signaled they could withhold funding for the June emergency defense request and the waiver needed for Hung Cao’s nomination.

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• Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.) announced that the House will reintroduce impeachment articles in the lame-duck session regardless of the midterm outcome.

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• Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said Hegseth failed to anticipate the strategic impact of a potential Strait of Hormuz closure, calling the lack of planning “obvious.”

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• Several Republican senators argue that forcing Hegseth out could avoid a “messy impeachment battle” and facilitate a defense-spending deal before Christmas.

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• Sources differ on whether Trump will intervene to remove Hegseth. While he has praised Hegseth publicly, unnamed GOP senators suggest he may be reluctant, describing removal as “a bridge too far.”

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• Uncertainty remains about Hegseth’s role in a temporary halt to intelligence sharing with Ukraine and the restriction of Starshield satellite services. Four Republican senators have asked the Defense Department inspector general to investigate whether any Pentagon officials, including Hegseth, directed those changes without presidential approval.

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• “My own view is that if the war is over, then the opportunity for bipartisanship on defense authorization and defense appropriations is there. I think if the war’s not over it’s going to be extremely difficult,” — Sen. Brian Schatz

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• “For example, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz should have been anticipated. It happened during the Iraq-Iran war and it’s an obvious point of leverage but there doesn’t seem to have been any plan for it,” — Sen. Susan Collins

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The push to impeach or remove Hegseth ties congressional oversight to the partisan battle over defense funding and national-security strategy. If Democrats succeed, it could reshape Pentagon leadership and affect ongoing operations, including the conflict with Iran, while setting a precedent for using impeachment as a policy tool. A failure would likely bolster the administration’s defense agenda and limit Democratic influence over future legislation.

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