A House Democrat announced Monday she will introduce articles of impeachment against Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth over his handling of U.S. operations in Iran.
Why it matters: Hegseth is emerging as Democrats' top target in the Trump Cabinet following the ousters of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Attorney General Pam Bondi.
- Polls have shown Hegseth is among the least popular members of the Cabinet, with the mounting costs of the Iran conflict placing further strain on his public image.
Driving the news: Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.) said in a statement she will introduce articles of impeachment against Hegseth next week for "repeatedly violating his oath of office and his duty to the Constitution."
- "Hegseth's reckless endangerment of U.S. servicemembers and repeated war crimes ... are grounds for impeachment and removal from office," the House Democrats' freshman class president said.
- Ansari cited the bombing of a girls' school in Southern Iran during the early stages of the conflict as an example, alleging the Pentagon is "willfully targeting civilian infrastructure."
The other side: "During an ongoing military operation in the Middle East and on the heels of the two most daring and successful rescue operations in military history, this is just another Democrat trying to make headlines," Pentagon spokesperson Kingsley Wilson told Axios.
- "Secretary Hegseth will continue to protect the homeland and unleash epic fury on Iran's radical regime," he added.
- "This is just another charade in an attempt to distract the American people from the major successes we have had here at the Department of War."
Zoom in: Ansari, who is Iranian American, also called for the Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office over his "deranged statements" about the war.
- She pointed to his Truth Social post on Easter Sunday that was addressed to Iranian leaders: "Open the Fuckin' Strait [of Hormuz], you crazy bastards, or you'll be living in Hell — JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah."
- "The 25th Amendment exists for a reason; his Cabinet should use it. The fate of U.S. troops, the Iranian people, and the very foundation of our global system are at stake," she said.
The bottom line: With Republicans in control of both chambers of Congress and a two-thirds majority needed in the Senate to convict an executive official for impeachable offensive, Ansari's impeachment push is highly unlikely to succeed.
- There is also no realistic chance of Trump's Cabinet, which is filled with loyalists, invoking the 25th Amendment.
- Ansari isn't the first Democrat to propose impeaching Hegseth. Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.) introduced articles of impeachment against the Pentagon chief last year, but has so far not forced a vote on it.
Editor's note: This article has been updated with the Pentagon's statement.
