Democrats weigh linking cooperation on key Republican budget bills to Hegseth's removal
Party expected to prioritize ouster if it retakes the House in midterms
Trump may reshuffle cabinet after midterm results
Democratic lawmakers, widely expected to retake the House in the midterm elections, have identified Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as their top target for removal. The party is exploring a strategy to force Hegseth out in exchange for cooperating on key legislative priorities, including next year's defense budget.
The Hill reported Monday (local time) that Democrats may have already secured some Republican support for the plan. The strategy involves conditioning Democratic cooperation on the passage of next year's National Defense Authorization Act — and an emergency defense spending package the White House requested in June — on Hegseth's dismissal.
Democrats also hold leverage over the confirmation of vacant Army and Navy secretary posts. Both positions fell empty under Hegseth through a string of resignations. Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao, nominated to fill the role permanently, requires a special congressional waiver because fewer than seven years have passed since his 2021 retirement from military service.
Some are skeptical that President Donald Trump would sacrifice Hegseth to win Democratic cooperation. One Republican senator rebuffed the idea in comments to The Hill, praising Hegseth's record and calling his removal "a bridge too far."
Democrats, however, have been scathing in their assessment of Hegseth, accusing him of catastrophic leadership. Critics say he has repeatedly sparked unnecessary controversy through erratic behavior — purging widely respected generals, waging a "culture war" to root out what he calls "woke" values in the military, and clashing with the Army secretary and Army chief of staff, both of whom were pushed out during the ongoing war with Iran. Most recently, Trump reversed his own defense secretary's decision to livestream the execution of a military base shooter after the plan drew a wave of public criticism.
An impeachment resolution against Hegseth was fast-tracked to the House floor last month, but the vote collapsed after Republican leadership called an early recess. The resolution was introduced not by a Democrat but by Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, who fell out with Trump and was blocked from running in the midterms. Analysts say the existence of like-minded Republicans could be enough to put Hegseth's position in serious jeopardy.
Democrats had also introduced their own impeachment resolution against Hegseth in the House in April. With the party now favored to win a House majority in the midterms, Hegseth's removal is expected to rank high on their agenda.
Should Democrats prevail in the midterms, Trump may also seek to refresh his cabinet. In that scenario, Hegseth — who has drawn blame for the prolonged war with Iran — could find himself among the first to go.
kate01@heraldcorp.com
