Democrats plan impeachment of US Defence Secretary Hegseth after midterms

Pentagon ready to cooperate with opposition

Former and current officials of the US Department of Defence intend to help Democratic Party representatives in investigating the activities of Pentagon head Pete Hegseth. This initiative could culminate in an impeachment procedure or the minister's dismissal from office. The Telegraph reports this, citing sources.

According to the publication, Democrats have already established contact with potential whistleblowers within the department. These employees are ready to "lay it all out" before Congress. A source noted that Pentagon personnel would cooperate with legislators to "provide information" on how the ministry descended into "chaos" under Hegseth's leadership.

Scandals and protocol violations

The central point of the upcoming investigation will be scandalous incidents, including the so-called Signalgate. At that time, the minister accidentally disclosed US military plans to The Atlantic journalist Jeffrey Goldberg. Also in the spotlight will be the declassification of other data and security protocol violations concerning American pilots, as mentioned in an internal Pentagon report.

The publication notes that the Defence Secretary is in a vulnerable position. During his tenure, he has made a series of serious mistakes, leading to his isolation from potential allies. As a source told The Telegraph:

«Буде чимало людей, які дуже тихо підійдуть до голови комітету з питань Збройних сил і викладуть усе, що на душі, нададуть їм усе, що зможуть, і розголосять усе, що зможуть. Це буде жахливо. Це буде постійне приниження» (There will be quite a few people who will quietly approach the chair of the Armed Services Committee and pour out everything on their minds, give them everything they can, and expose everything they can. It will be terrible. It will be constant humiliation).

Some experts consider the current minister a genuine "threat to national security," while others claim they "simply do not like him," the publication's interlocutors say.

Legal prospects and possible scenarios

Democrats will gain new legal powers if they regain control of the House of Representatives after the midterm elections scheduled for November. Following this, they plan to issue subpoenas to Hegseth and his closest advisers, including his wife Jen Hegseth and chief of staff Ricky Buria.

A Democratic member of Congress told The Telegraph that the final plan involves Hegseth's impeachment, but not before a "thorough investigation" is completed. The politician added that he had already contacted sources in the Pentagon, but previously such initiatives were blocked due to Republican control of Congress.

The publication emphasises that impeachment remains a high bar even with compelling arguments. A conviction requires a two-thirds vote of senators. No US cabinet secretary has yet been convicted on charges brought under the impeachment procedure.

An alternative, and perhaps more likely, scenario is the dismissal of the minister by President Donald Trump to "stop the flow of embarrassing stories," the material states.

It is worth noting that the publication Axios reported as early as April 2026 on Democrats' intention to bring a resolution for Pete Hegseth's impeachment to a Congressional vote. At that time, the initiative had virtually no chance of success due to the Republican majority in the legislative bodies.