Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks during his Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill on Jan. 14, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar has introduced articles of impeachment against U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, the Detroit Democrat announced in a press release on Thursday.
The articles of impeachment are charging Hegseth with Murder and Conspiracy to Murder, and for Reckless and Unlawful Mishandling of Classified Information.
The articles of impeachment come as Hegseth is under increasing scrutiny from both sides of the aisle about strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean, including one in September where Hegseth allegedly gave a verbal directive to “kill everybody,” according to Washington Post reporting.
“Pete Hegseth is uniquely unqualified to serve as Secretary of Defense,” Thanedar said in the release. “Every day he serves in this role, he puts American servicemembers and their families in danger. He gave direct, unlawful orders to kill every single person on a civilian boat from Venezuela, violating the Defense Department’s Law of War Manual.”
Thanedar also referenced the March incident in which Hegseth, along with a number of other top Trump national security officials, discussed specific details of a U.S. attack on Houthi rebels in Yemen in a Signal group chat, as further reason for Hegseth’s impeachment.
“His mishandling of classified information, leaking war plans in a Signal chat which included sensitive operations details, including target systems and attack times, has put American lives at risk,” Thanedar said in the release. “He can no longer serve as our Secretary of Defense, which is why I am introducing these articles of impeachment.”
Thanedar was criticized earlier this year for putting forward articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump, which he introduced in April before cancelling a vote on them after facing significant pushback from party leadership.
When asked on Monday if articles of impeachment against Hegseth would be considered, Axios reported that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York) said, “Republicans will never allow articles of impeachment to be brought to the floor of the House of Representatives, and we know that’s the case.”
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