Hegseth could face impeachment in new Democratic Congress

By Vaughn Cockayne - The Washington Times - Wednesday, November 4, 2026

Frustration with the Iran war was a key factor in Tuesday’s elections, and one of the loudest champions of the U.S. military action in the Middle East could be on the chopping block as result.

With Democrats retaking control of both the House and Senate in January, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth could face impeachment proceedings, a threat that in one form or another has dogged the former Fox News host since his confirmation in 2025.

Mr. Hegseth’s tenure at the Pentagon has been marked by controversy after controversy over the past two years,

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Just months after his confirmation, the “Signalgate” controversy raised serious questions about the integrity of secure communications within the Pentagon after Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, was inexplicably added to a group chat planning airstrikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Then, last September, a military strike in the Caribbean destroyed a speedboat allegedly carrying drugs for the Tren de Aragua cartel, killing nine people immediately and leaving two survivors. A follow-up airstrike then killed those survivors.

News of the so-called “double tap” strike infuriated some on Capitol Hill, who saw it as a clear violation of the Geneva Conventions, potentially constituting an extrajudicial killing.

Democrats have also implied that Mr. Hegseth has blocked officer promotions based on their race or gender and has obscured the true casualties from the Iran war from the American public.

High-profile members of the House of Representatives have openly called for Mr. Hegseth’s impeachment.

Adam Smith, a Washington Democrat and the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, said this year he was in favor of impeaching both Mr. Hegseth and President Trump over the Iran war.

Thomas Massie, the outgoing Kentucky Republican, introduced articles of impeachment against Mr. Hegseth in September, accusing him of violating the 1973 War Powers Resolution.