Veterans Seek Impeachment of Defense Secretary Hegseth
Veterans groups and some senior officers removed from the Pentagon say Pete Hegseth should face impeachment even if he resigns or is fired as defense secretary. Some are also seeking his conviction and a ban on holding future office. They say Congress should investigate his actions and restore confidence in the military.
Among their concerns is that military families in Bahrain were not moved to safety ahead of the conflict with Iran. Iran’s retaliatory strikes put spouses and children near the Navy’s largest Middle East base in danger, the groups said. They also cite reports of poor conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln and the removal of numerous high-ranking women and officers of color.
Retired Rear Adm. Michael Smith said the case extends beyond the war. He called strikes in the Caribbean war crimes and urged Congress to examine why the Southern Command commander resigned, including whether the officer had been given an illegal order. A former senior military leader, speaking anonymously over concerns about retaliation, said Congress shares responsibility for the military’s loss of confidence.
Army veteran Kristofer Goldsmith said Hegseth had put Americans’ lives at risk. His group, Unite for Veterans Coalition, plans a Washington gathering for Veterans Day. Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican who is retiring after losing his primary, is expected to bring impeachment articles to a vote next week. The articles allege Hegseth launched a war against Iran without authorization, breached the War Powers Resolution and took retaliatory action against Sen. Mark Kelly.
Hegseth rejected the effort in a Pentagon video, calling the impeachment articles a sham and saying the campaign against him would not succeed. The Pentagon and White House have also mounted a coordinated social media effort defending him.
Congress Must Investigate Hegseth’s Military Record
The case for impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth goes beyond whether he keeps his job, veterans groups and former senior officers say. They want Congress to investigate his record, hold him accountable and, in some cases, convict him and bar him from future office.
They point to the fact that military families in Bahrain were not relocated ahead of the conflict with Iran, leaving spouses and children at risk when Iranian forces attacked the Navy’s largest Middle East base. They also cite reported poor conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln and the removal of numerous high-ranking women and officers of color. Those issues, they argue, deserve congressional scrutiny rather than a political dismissal.
Retired Rear Adm. Michael Smith says strikes in the Caribbean may constitute war crimes and that lawmakers should investigate why the Southern Command commander resigned, including whether the officer faced an illegal order. A former senior military leader said Congress bears responsibility alongside Hegseth for the loss of confidence in the military.
Rep. Thomas Massie is expected to force a vote next week on articles alleging Hegseth launched a war against Iran without authorization, breached the War Powers Resolution and took retaliatory action against Sen. Mark Kelly. Veterans groups intend to hold a Washington gathering for Veterans Day. Hegseth has called the impeachment effort a sham, while the Pentagon and White House have promoted a coordinated defense of him. Dismissing the effort as politics does not answer the concerns veterans say Congress must examine.
Impeachment Push Targets Hegseth as Veterans Demand Congress Act
A push to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is gaining support among veterans groups and former officers, who say he should face consequences even if he leaves the Pentagon. Their campaign seeks to take the dispute beyond a change in personnel, calling for impeachment and, in some cases, conviction and disqualification from future office.
Rep. Thomas Massie, a retiring Kentucky Republican who lost his primary, is expected to force a House vote next week. The proposed charges say Hegseth started a war with Iran without authorization, breached the War Powers Resolution and retaliated against Sen. Mark Kelly. Hegseth has called the articles a sham and said the effort against him will not succeed.
The veterans’ case also cites the fact that military families in Bahrain were not moved before the Iran conflict, reported conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln and the removal of high-ranking women and officers of color. Retired Rear Adm. Michael Smith further alleges that Caribbean strikes were war crimes and wants Congress to investigate whether an illegal order preceded the Southern Command commander’s resignation.
Those are serious allegations, but they remain the claims behind an impeachment drive, not findings established by a vote. The Pentagon and White House have mounted a coordinated social media defense of Hegseth. Veterans organizations intend to hold a Washington gathering for Veterans Day as Congress approaches the expected vote.
