Democrats Plan Hegseth Probe After November Midterms

Democrats are preparing a congressional investigation into Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth if they regain control of the US House of Representatives in November's midterm elections, according to The Telegraph. The planned inquiry would examine controversies during his Pentagon tenure, seek testimony from current and former officials, and potentially establish grounds for impeachment or pressure President Donald Trump to remove him.

Democrats have already contacted potential whistleblowers and are considering subpoenas for Hegseth, his closest advisers, his wife, Jen Hegseth, and senior aide Ricky Buria. Former officials who left the department after disputes with Hegseth, including former Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and former Navy Secretary John Phelan, could also be called to testify.

Three members of Congress, including one Republican, have already introduced articles of impeachment against Hegseth in the House. However, Democrats have been unable to compel some witnesses to cooperate while Republicans control Congress, according to the report.

A well-connected source described the potential flow of information from former Pentagon officials to congressional investigators.

"There's going to be a lot of people that are going to very quietly go to the chair of the armed [services] committee and are going to spill their guts, provide them with everything they can and leak everything they can," the source said.

The source predicted significant political fallout from the anticipated disclosures.

"It'll be horrendous. It'll be consistent embarrassment," the source said.

A former senior administration official attributed Hegseth's vulnerability to deteriorating relationships with former allies.

"Hegseth has two huge problems," the former official said.

The official said Hegseth's conduct had alienated people who might otherwise have remained aligned with him.

"Through his arrogance, he's made many former allies willing to work with Democrats to hold his feet to the fire for all the damage he's done to our military," the former official said.

Hegseth has overseen the departure of dozens of senior military officers, including former Army Chief of Staff Randy George and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff CQ Brown. Several senior officers have also criticized him anonymously, according to the report.

Last year, Hegseth summoned senior military leaders to Quantico, where he criticized what he called "fat generals" and addressed grooming standards. He has also removed senior civilian officials and aides, contributing to disillusionment within the Pentagon, according to a source familiar with the department.

That source said some officials consider Hegseth a "threat to national security," while others "don't like him." A separate Pentagon source said officials would cooperate with Congress to "provide insight" into what the source described as "chaos" under Hegseth.

The investigation would likely involve the House Oversight Committee, which conducts congressional investigations, the Judiciary Committee, which would prepare any articles of impeachment, and the Armed Services Committee.

A Democratic member of Congress, speaking anonymously, said impeachment would follow only after investigators established the facts.

"We have done a thorough investigation and have all the facts to hand" was the stated threshold for proceeding, according to the lawmaker's account of the planned approach.

The lawmaker said potential investigations had been constrained by Republican control of Congress. Democrats on the House Oversight Committee had previously sought transcribed interviews with former Hegseth advisers who left during a purge in April last year but lacked the authority to force their participation.

Even if the House impeaches Hegseth, conviction would require a two-thirds majority in the Senate. No Cabinet secretary has ever been convicted following impeachment charges, according to the report.

Some Democrats have suggested Hegseth's removal could become a condition for cooperation with Republicans on defense matters, The Hill reported on Monday. Other observers believe Trump could dismiss the defense secretary to limit further damaging disclosures.

Trump has removed several senior officials during his second term. Mike Waltz was reassigned from national security adviser to US ambassador to the United Nations in May last year following the Signalgate controversy. Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was dismissed after authorizing a $220 million self-promotional advertising campaign, while former Attorney General Pam Bondi lost her position amid frustration over her handling of the Epstein files.

The report also identified Signalgate, which emerged in March 2025, as a likely focus of congressional scrutiny. Hegseth accidentally disclosed military plans to Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, through a messaging exchange.

A Pentagon report issued in December criticized Hegseth for violating security protocols and potentially endangering American pilots. However, the internal review found that he had discretion as defense secretary to determine what information qualified as classified and therefore had not committed a criminal offense.

A source who had contacted Democrats argued that investigators should examine whether Hegseth formally declassified the information before sharing it. The source said any claim that the material had been declassified should be supported by a written record.

"If he claims he somehow declassified a SECRET/NOFORN [not releasable to foreign nationals] communication from [US Central Command] minutes between receiving it and sending it to his wife and others, he will need to show the written memorandum ordering the declassification before texting the information," the source said.