Democrats moved on Sunday to pursue investigations and possible impeachment of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after their midterm wins, while President Donald Trump and Attorney General Todd Blanche pushed back against the effort. The Hegseth impeachment push is one of several moves Democrats are planning as they prepare to take more control of Congress.
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said he is a "hard yes" on a pending resolution from Rep. Thomas Massie to impeach Hegseth, according to The Hindu. Jeffries said Democrats would discuss the resolution when Congress returns that week. France 24 reported that Jeffries has indicated he and fellow Democrats would back an impeachment, citing Hegseth’s role in the Iran war that Trump launched in February, which the report describes as unpopular.
Hegseth responded in a video, according to The Hindu. He dismissed the impeachment push as "all about the politics of personal destruction" and said it "won’t work with me."
Rep. Robert Garcia, who is set to chair the House Oversight Committee next Congress, is preparing investigations into what he calls the "Trump crime family," according to The Hindu. Senior lawmakers said on Sunday that Elon Musk will likely be the target of a congressional probe once Democrats take control of Congress in January, according to France 24.
Trump called the Democrats’ investigative requests "extortion at the highest level," according to The Hindu. Blanche said criminal investigations of Democrats are possible. Neither statement was accompanied by further detail in the available reporting.
Democrats won a majority in the House and Senate in the midterms. Sen. Bernie Sanders said Democrats cannot spend all their time investigating Trump and must focus on working-class families. The AP Voter Poll, cited by The Hindu, found that about seven in 10 voters nationally say Congress is not doing enough to check the presidency. Jeffries also criticised Trump’s choice of Stephen Miller to succeed Susie Wiles as chief of staff, calling him an "awful choice."
Democrats are expected to discuss the Hegseth resolution when Congress returns. Probes of Musk and the Trump administration are expected to begin once Democrats take control in January.
The account relies mainly on The Hindu and France 24, and Al Jazeera’s contribution was limited to a headline and short excerpt. No response from Musk or his representatives was available. The Hindu excerpt was cut off partway through, so its coverage of Schumer and Democratic leadership is missing. The details of the Hegseth resolution and the scope of the planned investigations have not been reported.
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This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.