House Democrats back impeachment push against Pete Hegseth over Iran war allegations

The top Democrat in the US House of Representatives has said he supports impeaching Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth over allegations tied to the Iran war. Hakeem Jeffries said he was "a hard yes" on the move during an appearance on ABC's This Week. The comments came after Hegseth released a video defending his record as defence secretary and rejecting criticism of his conduct.

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Jeffries accused Hegseth of having "abused his power, undermined our national security, and engineered this reckless and costly war of choice in Iran". Outgoing Republican congressman Thomas Massie said he plans to introduce articles of impeachment as early as Monday. His resolution contains eight articles and alleges that Hegseth made war on Iran without the congressional authorisation required under the War Powers Resolution of 1973.

The Pentagon said it had followed the law and that Hegseth would not be deterred by what it called "phony investigations". Hegseth, in the video released last week, urged Congress to approve the Pentagon's latest military budget request before the Republican-controlled legislature's final days end. He also dismissed the impeachment threat as "sham articles" and said his opponents were engaged in political theatre.

The dispute has become part of a wider fight over war powers and the limits of executive authority in the United States. Under the Constitution, Congress has the power to declare war, while the War Powers Resolution of 1973 was designed to limit unilateral military action by presidents and senior officials. The allegations against Hegseth therefore go beyond one official and touch on how military decisions are authorised in a period of heightened political division.

Jeffries is widely expected to become Speaker when Democrats take control of the House in January after their landslide midterm victory. He has said the party will act as a check and balance on the Trump administration, although he has also said Democrats are not currently focused on impeaching President Donald Trump. Massie, who is leaving Congress, has long been a critic of Trump and is now positioning himself to force a formal vote on Hegseth's conduct.

What remains unclear is whether Massie's resolution will gain enough support to advance in the House, and whether any impeachment effort would move beyond the chamber. The timing of the filing, the exact scope of the allegations, and the response from Republican leaders will be important to watch. The episode also raises questions about how the incoming Democratic majority intends to use its new power in January.

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