Democrat Files Impeachment Articles Against Pete Hegseth Over Iran War and "War Crimes"

Pete Hegseth's eight-month run as Defense Secretary has been a masterclass in how to militarize everything while calling it "peace through strength." Now at least one Democrat in Congress has had enough.

Rep. Yassamin Ansari of Arizona announced Monday she will introduce articles of impeachment against Hegseth for "repeatedly violating his oath of office and his duty to the Constitution." Her specific charges: "reckless endangerment of U.S. service members and repeated war crimes."

The impeachment effort has approximately zero chance of going anywhere. Republicans control both chambers of Congress, and removing a Cabinet secretary requires a two-thirds Senate vote. Democratic leadership has not backed Ansari's resolution, and during Trump's first term, party leaders actively discouraged backbench impeachment efforts until Democrats took the House in 2019.

But Ansari's move is a signal flare about just how far off the rails Hegseth's Pentagon has gone.

From Fox News Host to "Secretary of War"

Hegseth was a controversial pick from the start. His main qualification was hosting a show on Fox News, though he had also run a couple of veterans groups and spent Trump's first term lobbying for pardons for soldiers accused of war crimes.

His confirmation hearing was a mess. A years-old sexual assault allegation resurfaced. Reports emerged that his drinking had been a problem at previous jobs. Three Republicans joined every Democrat in voting no. Vice President J.D. Vance had to break the tie to confirm him in January 2025.

Since then, Hegseth has treated the Pentagon like a personal fiefdom. He unofficially renamed it the "Department of War" and started calling himself "Secretary of War" -- all in service of what he calls the "Warrior Ethos." He has eliminated university fellowships for military officers, tightened restrictions on beards as part of a crusade against "wokeness," and demanded higher fitness standards in a speech to military brass at Quantico last fall.

"Our number one job, of course, is to be strong so that we can prevent war in the first place," Hegseth told the assembled officers. "It's called peace through strength. And as history teaches us, the only people who actually deserve peace are those who are willing to wage war to defend it."

That is some Orwellian doublespeak, considering what came next.

A Lot of War for a Guy Preventing War

Hegseth's tenure has been defined by military action. There were strikes on the Houthis in Yemen -- part of the "Signalgate" scandal where a journalist was accidentally added to a Signal chat discussing the attack plans. There were months of "Caribbean boat strikes." There was the operation to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. There was Operation Midnight Hammer, an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities in summer 2025.

And now there is a full-on war with Iran that began in late February.

That war is what pushed Ansari to act. The Arizona congresswoman, who is Iranian-American, has also called for Trump's Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove the president from office, citing Trump's bizarre "Praise be to Allah" post on Easter Sunday.

"The 25th Amendment exists for a reason; his Cabinet should use it," Ansari said. "The fate of U.S. troops, the Iranian people, and the very foundation of our global system are at stake."

A 25th Amendment invocation is even less likely than impeachment. It has never been used in American history, and it would require Trump's handpicked loyalists to turn on him. That is not happening.

The Pattern Continues

What might actually happen is that Hegseth leaves on his own -- or gets pushed out by Trump, who burned through four Defense Secretaries during his first term.

The pattern is already repeating itself. This week, three top generals departed the Pentagon. Turnover has been constant. And Hegseth's scandals keep piling up, from Signalgate to the controversial military actions to the ongoing war with Iran.

Trump has shown he has no patience for Cabinet members who become liabilities or distractions. Hegseth may have survived a contentious confirmation, but surviving Trump's attention span is another matter entirely.

For now, Hegseth remains in charge of what he insists on calling the Department of War. Ansari's impeachment articles will go nowhere. But they are a reminder that someone is paying attention to what this administration is doing with America's military -- even if Congress lacks the power or will to stop it.