Impeaching the Defense Secretary in a Lame Duck, Mid-War, Is Theater — Not Accountability

Hakeem Jeffries says he is a "hard yes" on Rep. Thomas Massie's resolution to impeach Pete Hegseth, with a House vote expected this week. With talks over the Iran war at a delicate stage, Congress should leave Cabinet choices to the commander in chief.

By Clara Hughes

The House is barely back in session, and its first big show is already scheduled. Rep. Thomas Massie, the Kentucky Republican, plans to bring his resolution to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to a vote this week. On Sunday, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries gave it his full blessing. "I'm a hard yes on the Hegseth resolution," Jeffries said on ABC's "This Week." "Pete Hegseth has got to go." Americans should see this for what it is: a lame-duck stunt, timed for the cameras, in the middle of a war. Keep reading with Altas Premium. Below: what Jeffries and Massie are really after, what the president and Hegseth said in response, why the timing