Trump blasts Democrats over Hegseth impeachment chatter

President Trump blasted Democrats Thursday over their ongoing calls to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, whom they see as one of their primary targets, if the party takes control of the House.

“I think it’s terrible. All they do is they talk about impeaching everybody,” the president told reporters when asked if he is worried about Democrats trying to oust Hegseth.

“I mean, honestly, if we wanted to play that game, we could play it just as well. But they’re talking about Pete Hegseth,” Trump said, praising the Pentagon chief for doing a “great job” and being a “great warrior.”

“I think he’s the best at his job in many, many years, and a lot of people agree with that.”

Several House Democrats have told The Hill they support Rep. Thomas Massie’s (R-Ky.) impeachment salvo, which he unveiled last month , and they would separately back Democrats’ potential push to force Hegseth’s removal if they regain a majority in the lower chamber.

The vote on Massie’s privileged resolution is expected to happen soon after lawmakers return to Washington following November’s midterms.

Democrats have lambasted Hegseth for firing more than two dozen senior military officers since taking office, overseeing lethal attacks against alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, and not being transparent enough with Congress when it comes to the handling of the Iran war.

“Secretary Hegseth has been nothing short of a disaster for the Pentagon and for America’s standing in the world,” Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.), who sits on the House Armed Services Committee, told The Hill in a statement Wednesday.

“From ‘Signalgate’ and the partisan purging of military leadership to the spiraling human and financial toll of the war in Iran, he has proven time and again that he is unfit to lead our armed forces. He must leave the Pentagon,” said Carbajal, a former Marine Corps reserve. “If he won’t resign, I will vote in favor of impeachment at the next opportunity.”

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) is tiptoeing around the impeachment of the Defense secretary, slamming Hegseth in the sharpest terms but not fully endorsing a forced ouster — which could have a tough time passing in the Senate.

Last weekend, Jeffries said during a New York campaign rally that a House Democratic majority would “run Pete Hegseth out of town.”

The Pentagon has defended the Defense secretary, characterizing him as a “transformative leader” who brought back standards and merit to the department — pushing morale and recruitment inside the military to “at all-time highs.”

“Secretary Hegseth has slashed bureaucracy, unleashed innovation, and delivered for our warfighters every step of the way. By every measurable metric, the Department of War is better under President Trump and Secretary Hegseth’s leadership than before. The entire Department is unified behind the Secretary’s vision and will continue working to put our warfighters and America first,” Kingsley Wilson, the Pentagon’s press secretary, previously said in a statement.

Other House Democrats are looking to hold Hegseth accountable for blocking promotions of one- and two-star officers in the Army , Navy and Air Force, arguing it jeopardizes the armed forces’ preparedness.

Rep. Eugene Vindman (D-Va.), a former Army colonel and House Armed Services Committee member, said Hegseth is the “least qualified, most incompetent” Pentagon chief in American history.

“His recklessness, staggering lack of judgment, and repeated failures have put American service members at risk and undermined our national security. His conduct warrants impeachment, and I will vote to hold him accountable. Our troops deserve leadership worthy of their service and sacrifice,” Vindman said in a statement to The Hill on Wednesday.

“Hegseth has failed them at every turn, and he should have been removed from office long ago.”