Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth escaped impeachment by seven votes in the U.S. House of Representatives Nov. 10, but his opponents are already lining up for another attempt next year.
Had all Democratic lawmakers shown up for the vote — 11 were absent — the motion to refer impeachment proceedings to a Republican-led committee where they will be buried would not have passed.
According to reports from ABC News, Washington Post and WUSA9, 11 House Democrats missed the procedural vote for reasons ranging from traffic delays returning from an off-site political event to medical procedures, personal emergencies and out-of-state commitments.
The motion to impeach Hegseth came from a Republican legislator, indicative of the secretary’s perilous position even within his own party. Close observers widely noted that Speaker of the House Mike Johnson rushed the vote in an attempt to protect Hegseth for now.
The motion to impeach Hegseth came from a Republican legislator.
But January likely will yield different results.
Democratic U.S. Reps. like Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Adam Smith of Washington and Scott Wiener of California already have expressed support for another impeachment try, as have incoming members including U.S. Rep.-elect Nancy Lacor, a Democrat and former Navy admiral.
“The so-called secretary of defense has abused his power, undermined our national security and engineered this reckless and costly war of choice in Iran, which has skyrocketed prices on the American people and made the country less safe,” said Jeffries, who is expected to be the next House speaker, on ABC’s This Week.
Faith and religious freedom groups have protested Hegseth since his confirmation — by one vote in the Senate — for numerous reasons, including the ongoing war with Iran, the military incursion into Venezuela and attacks on alleged drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. Such actions not only are illegal but also immoral, some faith leaders have said.
“Throughout his tenure as secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth has embodied and weaponized a dangerous and unconstitutional, religious extremist agenda,” said Interfaith Alliance President Paul Raushenbush.
Paul Raushenbush
Raushenbush issued the statement before Hegseth’s narrow impeachment escape, but the Alliance later made it clear it has opposed the secretary since his nomination and will continue doing so until he is removed from the position.
“Under Hegseth’s ‘leadership,’ the Trump administration has shown utter contempt for constitutional boundaries between government and religion. We support his immediate firing or removal from office, including by impeachment,” the group said.
Like many other religious groups, the Alliance also cited Hegseth’s aggressive infusion of a Christian nationalist worldview into the Pentagon where he has instituted regular right-wing prayer services and promoted war as an expression of Christian faith.
“Hegseth has pushed our armed forces to discriminate against a wide range of military personnel who do not fit his narrow and extreme worldview — including trans people, Black and female soldiers, and a wide range of faith communities,” the organization added.
Earlier this year, it came to light that Hegseth was intervening in the promotions of high-ranking officers, including Black and female candidates, to become generals or admirals.
“Instead of envisioning an armed forces drawn from all Americans and dedicated to defending constitutional democracy, he has sought to perpetuate a dangerous Crusader ideal, using explicitly Christian nationalist rhetoric and cherry-picked Bible verses to promote a ‘clash of civilization’ against his chosen enemies, particularly Muslims in the Middle East,” the Alliance said.
The secretary also has undermined the military’s religious neutrality by marginalizing nonreligious service members, the Freedom from Religion Foundation said following the recent House vote.
“His repeated attempts to privilege Christianity, disparage nonreligious Americans and impose his personal theology on the armed forces represent a profound betrayal of his constitutional responsibilities. Congress cannot allow these abuses to continue unchecked,” said FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor.