Massie Files Articles to Force Hegseth Vote Nov. 9

Democratic leaders in the House are preparing to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth if their party wins the upcoming midterm elections.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries outlined the party's strategy during a recent rally in Pennsylvania. He stated that removing the defense secretary would be among the first actions of a new Democratic majority. Jeffries said, “One of the first things we're going to do in the majority, we're going to run Pete Hegseth out of town.”

Criticism of Hegseth extends beyond the Democratic caucus. Republican Representative Thomas Massie filed articles of impeachment in September. Massie, a vocal critic of the war in Iran, accused Hegseth of abusing his office by ordering hostilities against Iran without congressional approval. Massie has indicated he intends to force a House vote on his articles when lawmakers return to session on November 9.

Other Democratic lawmakers have used strong language to describe Hegseth's performance. Representative Pramila Jayapal called the secretary “incompetent and, frankly, corrupt” in an interview. Representative Jared Huffman described him as an “unhinged fanatic who should be impeached and removed from office.”

The impeachment debate coincides with a covert meeting between Hegseth and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The two met at Israel's Ovda air base on Monday. This visit occurred days before the Israeli election. Hegseth confirmed the meeting took place but did not provide details on their conversation. Reports indicate that Iran was the main topic of discussion.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz reportedly attended the meeting. Senior Israeli military officials, including IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, were not invited due to confidentiality concerns. The visit added to the scrutiny facing Hegseth as the House prepares for its next session.