Jeffries Shifts to 'Hard Yes' on Hegseth Impeachment After Democratic Midterm Wins

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) announced on ABC's 'This Week' on November 8, 2026, that he is a 'hard yes' on impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, declaring 'Pete Hegseth has got to go' and accusing him of abusing power, undermining national security, and engineering a 'reckless and costly war of choice in Iran.' This marks a shift from his November 6 NPR comments, where he criticized Hegseth as the 'most unqualified' defense secretary but declined to endorse impeachment outright, saying he wouldn't 'get out ahead of the caucus.'

The push stems from Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who plans to reintroduce an eight-article impeachment resolution as early as November 10, 2026. Massie's articles charge violations of the 1973 War Powers Resolution through unauthorized Iran operations (including strikes on a girls' school), civilian casualty rules, and retaliation against Sen. Mark Kelly. The resolution, first filed in September 2026, is privileged, requiring action within two legislative days.

Democrats' landslide midterm victories—securing House and Senate majorities—have emboldened the effort, with the war cited as a factor in Republican losses. Jeffries expects 'incredibly strong support' from Democrats when they reconvene Tuesday but offered no whip count. Trump has defended Hegseth as doing a 'fantastic job,' while Hegseth called the articles 'sham' in a video response. Even if the House impeaches, Senate conviction requires two-thirds support, unlikely without bipartisan backing before Democrats assume control in January.

Earlier Democratic articles from April targeted similar war-related issues. Massie has conditioned reintroduction on Hegseth's resignation and urged Trump to act before the power shift.