House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has declared a "hard yes" on impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. He simultaneously stated there is no path to work with Stephen Miller. This stance marks a clear divide in the House as Democrats return to Washington. Jeffries told reporters he believes his caucus will show "incredibly strong support" for the resolution.
The House Minority Leader has drawn a sharp line in the sand regarding the new administration's top aides. He accused Hegseth of abusing power and engineering a "reckless and costly war of choice in Iran." Jeffries claims this action has "skyrocketed prices on the American people." He told Breitbart that "Pete Hegseth has got to go." The House will discuss these articles of impeachment on Tuesday morning.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries calls President Trump appointing Stephen Miller as his new chief of staff an “irresponsible decision.”
“There's not going to be any opportunity to work with Stephen Miller and what he represents. We're committed to forcefully pushing back against the extremism that they may try to continue to unleash on the American people," he tells ABC News' @JonKarl.
https://t.co/o7bcog73RD
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) November 8, 2026
While backing the defense secretary's removal, Jeffries made his position on Stephen Miller equally clear.
This refusal to collaborate sets up a difficult legislative session for both sides. Jeffries views Miller's role as a direct threat to the American people. The House leadership is preparing to confront these new policies head-on. RedState reported that Jeffries sees this as a battle against unchecked power.
President Donald Trump has no plans to remove his defense secretary from office. He told ABC News that Hegseth has "done a fantastic job." Trump confirmed he has "every intention to keep him" in the role. He dismissed the impeachment effort as a political move by opponents.
Defense Secretary Hegseth echoed the President's defense in a statement to ABC News. He called the articles of impeachment "sham" documents dropped by a "disgruntled, defeated congressman." Hegseth compared the current attacks to past efforts against the President. He stated that this politics of "personal destruction" will not work.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries tells ABC News' @jonkarl that he is a "hard yes" to vote to impeach Secretary Pete Hegseth, adding that he believes there will be "incredibly strong support" for the resolution. https://t.co/jommAbcVBX
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) November 8, 2026
Representative Thomas Massie is leading the charge to bring these charges to the floor. He plans to reintroduce a privileged resolution as early as Monday. Hegseth is charged with breaching the War Powers Resolution of 1973 in his eight articles. ABC News reported that Massie intends to force a vote on the matter.
The Democratic caucus will gather on Tuesday to decide their next steps. Jeffries expects "incredibly strong support" for the resolution to impeach Hegseth. He told ABC News they will "certainly have that conversation" when they reconvene. The outcome of this meeting will determine the immediate future of the defense secretary.
Massie faces a challenge as he enters his final months as a congressman. He is setting his sights on Hegseth alongside the Democratic leadership. The Washington Examiner noted that Massie will not reintroduce the articles if Hegseth resigns.