Jeffries edges toward calling for Hegseth’s impeachment as the defence secretary is said to eye a Senate seat

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries inched closer over the weekend to calling for the impeachment of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth¹. He made the remarks as he looks toward taking the speaker’s gavel¹.

Jeffries said Democrats will deal with Hegseth if President Donald Trump does not². In a television interview he said “we’re going to hold” Hegseth “accountable”⁵.

Jeffries called Hegseth “deeply unqualified” and reiterated that he had called for him to be fired⁶. He said Democrats would hold Hegseth accountable if they win the House⁶, linking the next steps to the election results⁶. The remarks put Hegseth’s future at the centre of the final stretch of the midterm campaign^1,6.

Hegseth’s reported exit route

Hegseth is reportedly seeking appointment to a US Senate seat in Tennessee³. The move would help him avoid potential congressional investigations, according to the report³. The seat would be filled by appointment rather than by election, according to the report³. A second account describes the Senate seat as a route out as the impeachment threat looms⁴.

The reports have not been confirmed by Hegseth, and the available coverage carries no response from him^3,4.

Democrats are preparing investigations into Hegseth⁷. They concern a conversation involving National Security Adviser Mike Waltz in which officials discussed military operations in Yemen, raising questions about their conduct⁷.

Why it matters to investors

The pressure on Hegseth comes amid controversy over a disruption to Ukraine’s Starlink connection². Questions about who ordered that disruption have drawn the Pentagon into a dispute with direct consequences for a war ally².

If Democrats win the House, impeachment proceedings against a sitting defence secretary would add uncertainty to defence policy and procurement^1,6. Jeffries has tied any action explicitly to the election result⁶.

A Senate appointment would remove Hegseth from the Pentagon and change who runs the department’s budget and contracts³. Defence contractors and the department’s budget sit downstream of any change at the top^1,3. Either outcome means leadership at the Pentagon is now in question^1,3.

What to watch is whether Jeffries makes a formal call for impeachment before or after the vote^1,6, and whether the Tennessee appointment materialises³. The investigations Democrats are preparing would proceed in either case if they take the House^6,7.