Hegseth to face House vote on his removal right after midterms

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faces an impeachment vote scheduled for Nov. 9, the first day of the House session following the midterm elections. The date was set by Rep. Thomas Massie, who filed articles of impeachment in September.

Massie, a Republican, accused Hegseth of abusing his office by ordering hostilities against Iran without Congressional approval. He intends to force a floor vote as soon as members return to Washington.

House Democrats are preparing a parallel track for removal. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries stated at a Pennsylvania rally that ousting Hegseth would be a priority if his party secures a majority. "One of the first things we're going to do in the majority, we're going to run Pete Hegseth out of town," Jeffries said.

Criticism of the defense secretary has intensified across party lines. Rep. Pramila Jayapal called Hegseth "incompetent and, frankly, corrupt" in an interview with CNN. Rep. Jared Huffman described him as an "unhinged fanatic who should be impeached and removed from office."

The political pressure coincides with a recent diplomatic trip. Hegseth held a covert meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Ovda air base on Monday. Two sources confirmed the visit to Walla, noting it occurred days before the Israeli election.

Hegseth confirmed the meeting took place but declined to provide details. KAN News reported that Iran was the primary topic of discussion. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz attended the sit-down, while IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and other senior military officials were excluded for confidentiality reasons.

The Nov. 9 timeline places the potential vote just days after voters cast ballots. Massie’s motion relies on his own filing, while Democratic leaders are finalizing their own articles pending the election outcome.