Hegseth’s Future Splits Dems

Democrats are clamoring for another quick chance to take down Pete Hegseth, but they’re running into a new obstacle: their own party’s leaders.

Days after Republicansstaved off an effort to unseat the Pentagon chief — and Democrats failed to get all their members to the vote — some key leaders in the incoming majority are signaling they want to focus on other pressing issues and allow further Hegseth investigations to work their way through committees.

The tension underscores a central challenge of the next Congress. Democrats have vowed to hold the Defense secretary accountable. But a bare-knuckles impeachment battle in January could lead to a weak case and overshadow other priorities — from cost-of-living legislation to wider administration investigations — and blunt their political momentum.

“We need to have a conversation about what the right and most intelligent way is to move forward,” said House Armed Services Committee ranking member Adam Smith (D-Wash.), who will likely take the panel’s gavel in January. “We need to think for a minute instead of just shooting from the hip.”

Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) — who is expected to become the next House speaker — supported this week’s impeachment effort and has demanded accountability for Hegseth. But he has stopped short of blessing another immediate attempt, deferring to Smith and House Judiciary Committee ranking member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) on how exactly to proceed.

Jeffries’ office insisted he hasn’t strayed from that eventual goal.

“Leader Jeffries has repeatedly made clear that Pete Hegseth must go,” Jeffries' office said in a statement. “House Democrats will not hesitate to impeach the so-called Secretary of Defense if he is still around next year.”

Democrats continue to make it clear that they despise the direction Hegseth has taken the Pentagon, from attacks on alleged drug-smuggling boats to a drone strike that killed hundreds of Iranian schoolchildren. And many are pushing for another opportunity — soon.

“We’re going to hold him accountable,” said Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.), a member of the House Armed Services Committee. “It will happen in January.”

And incoming Democrats, some of whom ran on platforms to oust Hegseth, are promising fast action.

“Get ready, asshole, because we’re coming,” said Democrat Richard Ojeda, a former Army major who won a House seat in North Carolina.

But impeachment — which is exceedingly rare — can take months, dominating precious floor time and shifting the focus away from top Democrats’ promise to focus on improving economic livelihoods and targeting corruption.

Any House member could offer articles of impeachment and force a quick vote. But tying up the House floor without the blessing of party leadership would be politically risky.

Raskin, who as likely House Judiciary chair will help chart a path forward, said Tuesday’s failed impeachment vote was “a missed opportunity.”

But he noted some of Rep. Thomas Massie's eight impeachment articles overlapped with Democratic oversight priorities, including the Iran war and extrajudicial killings in the Caribbean. “It’s not the last opportunity,” he said.

Democrats could choose to narrow their focus on fewer articles or select a different set of targets entirely. Even Republican critics of Hegseth questioned whether Massie’s charges focused on actual crimes.

“There are areas that I really disagree with the secretary on, but my concern is with the actual impeachment charges,” Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) said. “I’m not anti-Iran war, but I think it could have been fought better. … Would I have handled drug boats differently? Probably. But I don’t think these are issues you can impeach him on.”

But some Democrats say they don’t want to wait too long and lose momentum.

Rep. Jonathan Jackson (D-Ill.) acknowledged the new House leader would face “1,000 things” after taking power. “So yes, there is that natural tension, but that's the creative process,” he said. “And so I, along with other people, are going to be pushing to make [Hegseth] a priority.”

The Trump administration appears ready to fight.

Hegseth held a rare Pentagon press conference on Tuesday and labeled the impeachment effortan attack on American troops — and Trump.

And the White House on Tuesday circulated a document calling impeachment a “rogue, politically motivated effort to undermine our warfighters, our nation’s Constitution, and our national security.”

Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) said it was that kind of rationale that made it clear Hegseth needed to be the first target of the administration.

He’s “most directly jeopardizing the security of our troops,” he said, “and we have a broad-based consensus.”

Riley Rogerson contributed to this report.