Rep. Ilhan Omar says "it's time to impeach" Pete Hegseth as House vote nears

Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar is calling for the impeachment of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as the House prepares to take up articles of impeachment against him this week.

Omar wrote on X that Hegseth "has grossly abused his position as Secretary of Defense." She accused him of waging an illegal war in Iran, conducting extrajudicial killings in the Caribbean and putting civilians in harm's way.

"Accountability is due. It's time to impeach Hegseth," she wrote.

The vote was forced by Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who introduced eight articles of impeachment Monday. The resolution accuses Hegseth of waging war against Iran without congressional authorization and abusing the powers of his office. It also cites the Pentagon's boat strikes in the Caribbean. House rules require GOP leaders to bring it up within two legislative days.

Hegseth called the effort a "political spectacle" at a Pentagon news briefing Tuesday. Johnson has said Republicans will defeat the resolution. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he is a "hard yes," and Democrats are widely expected to support it. With a narrow GOP majority, impeachment would need Republican votes. Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska is among the Republicans who say they are weighing it.

Hegseth is a Minnesota native who graduated from Forest Lake High School. Minnesota Democrats were critical of him before this push. In April 2025, Rep. Betty McCollum, Rep. Angie Craig and Sen. Tina Smith called for his firing or resignation after reports that he shared details of Yemen strike plans in a second Signal chat. Smith said it "was clear from the start that Hegseth was incompetent."

Hegseth would be the third Cabinet secretary in history to be impeached.