House Democrats draft Hegseth removal plan pending midterm results

The timing of a potential impeachment vote for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth now depends on the outcome of the November 3 midterm elections. House Democrats are preparing articles of impeachment to launch immediately if they gain control of the chamber, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries outlined this strategy at a rally in Pennsylvania earlier this month. He stated that one of the first actions of a Democratic majority would be to run Hegseth out of town. The party is positioning itself to act quickly once the new session begins.

Criticism of the secretary is not limited to the minority party. In September, Republican Rep. Thomas Massie filed his own articles of impeachment. Massie accused Hegseth of abusing his office by executing an order for hostilities against Iran without congressional approval. Massie intends to force a vote when the House returns to session on November 9, the week after the elections.

Other Democratic lawmakers have used strong language to describe the secretary. Rep. Pramila Jayapal called him incompetent and frankly corrupt in a CNN interview. Rep. Jared Huffman labeled him an unhinged fanatic who should be impeached and removed from office.

The political maneuvering coincides with increased scrutiny of Hegseth's activities abroad. The defense secretary held a covert meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Israel's Ovda air base on Monday, days before Israel's election. Two sources confirmed the visit to Walla on Tuesday.

Hegseth confirmed the visit took place but declined to elaborate on the conversation. According to a report by KAN News, the main topic of discussion was Iran. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz reportedly attended the sit-down, while IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and other senior Israeli officials were excluded for confidentiality reasons.