President Donald Trump on Thursday warned Democrats against trying to impeach Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth if they win the House during next week’s elections.
The president, while speaking to reporters, defended Hegseth amid criticism and warnings from top House Democrats about what they might do after the midterms.
“All they do is they talk about impeaching everybody,” he said, referring to Democrats. “Honestly, if we wanted to play that game, we could play it just as well.”
Hegseth is “a great warrior,” Trump said.
“I think he’s the best at his job in many, many years,” he said.
Earlier this week, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), who could become the next House speaker if Democrats capture the lower chamber, said that his party would pressure Hegseth to leave the Trump administration, although he stopped short of endorsing an impeachment effort that was launched last month by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.).
“We’re going to hold him accountable in the same way that we held [former Attorney General] Pam Bondi and [former Homeland Security Secretary] Kristi Noem accountable,” Jeffries told MS NOW on Oct. 24.
“And Pete Hegseth needs to be pushed aside by the president, or we’re going to have to deal with that situation if he is not,” Jeffries said, adding that Democrats would try to “run him out of town.”
Jeffries did not commit to impeaching Hegseth when asked in the interview about doing so. The House minority leader said he would be inclined to “act consistently with what [he has] said relative to Pete Hegseth from the very beginning,” or calling for him to be fired by Trump.
The comments from Trump come as the Department of War, the administration’s preferred name for the Department of Defense, confirmed it took action against an official who allegedly disclosed classified information.
“The Department of War has zero tolerance for the intentional, unauthorized disclosure of classified information,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell wrote on X on Thursday. “Anyone who compromises sensitive national security information puts the lives of our Warriors at risk and undermines every military operation that keeps our country safe.”
Parnell did not provide any names but said an Air Force investigation prompted the Pentagon to take the “necessary personnel action to protect sensitive information.”
“Classified information is not personal property. Leaking it for personal, political, or professional gain is a betrayal of the trust placed in those responsible for keeping it,” he added.
As for a Trump impeachment, former Vice President Kamala Harris said in a recent interview that Democrats should focus on other priorities.
“I think that going in the direction of impeachment is not a good idea, just to be honest with you, just because we have limited resources,” Harris told MeidasTouch.
“I think the energy and the resources need to be put into accountability, need to be put into investigations. And that’s where the time should be spent.”
With the midterms approaching, Trump has embarked on a weeks-long campaign blitz for Republican candidates. The president is due to hold a midterm rally in Rock Hill, South Carolina, on Thursday to support Sen. Darline Graham (R-S.C.), who is seeking a full term in office after she was appointed to her seat following the death of her brother, the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, earlier this year.
We had a problem loading this article. Please enable javascript or use a different browser. If the issue persists, please visit our help center.