Hegseth Faces Impeachment Articles
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is facing impeachment, and it's bad news for him and for the administration's war record.
- A Republican lawmaker introduced eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth, accusing him of carrying out an illegal war against Iran without Congress ever declaring war.
- The articles also point to a strike that hit a school full of kids on the first day of the war, then hit it again — raising questions about how targets were chosen.
- Hegseth is firing back by accusing critics of being unpatriotic and disrespecting the troops, while planning a press conference to defend himself.
- Veterans groups and some lawmakers say his leadership has caused deeper damage inside the Defense Department, including pushing out experienced officers.
- The fight ties into a separate controversy over a military operation in Venezuela that critics say was really about seizing oil, which could expose Hegseth and others to more legal scrutiny.
Outlook: Hegseth is expected to hold a press conference to respond to the charges, and even if the impeachment push doesn't remove him immediately, it could pressure him to resign sooner.