Pete Hegseth is President Trump’s Secretary of Defense and one of the most assertive voices in the administration. He has taken direct command of aggressive operations against alleged narco-boats in the Caribbean and Pacific, and he has become a central figure in Trump’s national security team. Supporters say he is doing exactly what he was hired to do: act boldly, take decisive action, and put American safety first.
Why Democrats Are Targeting Him
Michigan Democratic congressman Shri Thanedar has decided to make Hegseth his newest target. Thanedar says he will file articles of impeachment accusing the secretary of “murder and conspiracy to murder” for the strikes on Venezuelan drug boats and “reckless and unlawful mishandling of classified information” over the Signalgate scandal.
Thanedar posted a video insisting, “Pete Hegseth is uniquely unqualified for his role” and “Pete Hegseth must be brought to justice.” He has gone on television claiming that Hegseth committed war crimes and must be removed.
But despite the loud rhetoric, Thanedar is standing alone and his party knows it.
Shri Thanedar represents Detroit and nearby communities. He often talks about rising from poverty, but in Congress he has become known for something else: filing impeachment articles that go nowhere. He already tried to impeach Donald Trump earlier this year and was blasted by his own colleagues for it. One senior Democrat summed up the reaction to his new impeachment stunt in two words: “It’s Shri.”
Pentagon spokesperson Kingsley Wilson called his latest attempt “another charade” and said he is simply trying to win points with his base. She warned that while he seeks attention, “Secretary Hegseth will continue to protect the homeland.”
The Claims Behind the Articles
Thanedar’s first charge focuses on a September strike on a Venezuelan boat. After the first missile, two survivors were seen clinging to floating debris. Democrats claim Hegseth ordered a second strike to “kill everybody.” Connecticut Democrat Jim Himes said the video of the incident was “one of the most troubling things I have seen in my time in public service.”
Hegseth insists this happened in the “fog of war” and that the admiral in command acted “within his authority and the law.”
The second charge is tied to the Signalgate incident, when Hegseth used the Signal app to discuss plans for airstrikes and unknowingly included a journalist. The Pentagon’s inspector general called it a violation of department policy, but the issue was already widely addressed earlier in the year.
Republicans see Thanedar’s move as a political performance, not a serious effort. Wilson said the accusations are designed to distract the public from the Pentagon’s “major successes.” Republicans publicly and privately dismiss the impeachment idea as a nonstarter.
More importantly, Republicans control both the House and the Senate. They control the committees. They control the calendars. They control the floor. Without their cooperation, impeachment does not even reach the starting line.
The Democratic Party is divided, but not in the way Thanedar hoped. Their activist base wants impeachment. Their lawmakers do not. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries brushed off the entire idea, saying, “Republicans will never allow articles of impeachment to be brought to the floor,” and adding that “Donald Trump will order them not to do it.”
Behind closed doors, Democratic aides were even more blunt. One senior Democrat told Axios, “Outside groups will support” Thanedar’s move, but if a real impeachment ever happened, it would have to be led by “someone who people respect” because Thanedar is “doing it for press and he will get it.”
Thanedar can hold rallies. He can hold press conferences. He can file paperwork. But none of it will change the math.
The Bigger Picture
The debate around Hegseth is part of a larger political fight. Democrats accuse him of breaking laws and endangering civilians. Republicans say the operations against narco-boats are lawful and effective, and that the Signalgate issue has already been addressed. For Trump supporters, Hegseth is delivering results in dangerous theaters and standing strong in the face of global threats. For opponents, he is a symbol of an administration they want to weaken.
But one reality cuts through all of it. The votes do not exist to remove him.
Shri Thanedar may succeed in grabbing headlines, but he is not going to impeach Pete Hegseth. Democrats know it, Republicans know it, and the White House knows it. Hegseth remains one of Trump’s most aggressive and loyal defenders, and with Congress firmly in Republican hands, he is not going anywhere.
NP Editor: Signalgate is a non-starter, it will never be investigated unless for some reason Trump becomes unhappy with Hegseth. So far, Hegseth is supporting Trump very well and bringing the right kinds of headlines.
