House Democrats will introduce five articles of impeachment against Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, accusing him of abuse of power, war crimes related to U.S. military actions in Iran, and other offenses. Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ), the first Iranian-American Democrat in Congress, will introduce the articles of impeachment.
The articles allege that Hegseth authorized unauthorized strikes against Iran without congressional approval, signed off on operations involving “extreme and unnecessary risk to United States personnel,” and failed to prevent civilian casualties during military operations in Iran and Venezuela. They also accuse him of gross negligence regarding classified military communications, obstructing congressional oversight, and engaging in conduct that undermines public trust in the armed forces.
The measure includes eight Democratic co-sponsors: Reps. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), Nikema Williams (D-Ga.), Dina Titus (D-Nev.), David Min (D-Calif.), Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.), Brittany Pettersen (D-Colo.) and Sarah McBride (D-Del.).
The articles specify:
1. Unauthorized war against Iran and reckless endangerment of United States service members, citing U.S. strikes without congressional approval and considerations of ground operations in Iran.
2. Violations of the Law of Armed Conflict and targeting of civilians, including bombings of a girls’ school in Minab, Iran, and alleged double tap strikes on Venezuelan drug boats in the Caribbean.
3. Negligence and reckless handling of sensitive military information, referencing the Signalgate incident involving classified communications about Yemen strikes.
4. Obstruction of Congressional Oversight, alleging Hegseth withheld critical information regarding civilian casualties and operational conduct.
5. Conduct bringing disrepute upon the United States and its armed forces, citing criticism of NATO, rollbacks to diversity initiatives, and restrictions on transgender service members.
The impeachment effort follows an incident in September where a U.S. strike attacked a boat and subsequently killed survivors, prompting Democratic condemnation over potential war crimes. Rep. Ansari stated: “Whether through impeachment or by invoking the 25th Amendment, it is far past time Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth are removed from office.”
