Jeffries backs Hegseth impeachment as Democrats vow probes of Trump allies

As the Democratic Party prepares to apply its incoming congressional majorities to probe President Donald Trump's administration, united States House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has thrown his backing behind impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Key points

• Speaking on CNN's State of the Union on Sunday, Attorney General Todd Blanche remarked there could be investigations into Democratic lawmakers over their "threatening" rhetoric.
• In a Sunday appearance on the Television show This Week with George Stephanopoulos, Jeffries weighed in on the upcoming impeachment resolution, anticipated for the coming days.
• The impeachment resolution has been spearheaded by outgoing Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, a vocal critic of the US-Israel war on Iran.
• In Sunday's interview, Jeffries remarked the Democratic majority would move "aggressively" in its first 100 days in office, both to address affordability and "unprecedented corruption" under Trump.
• Representative Robert Garcia formally confirmed his bid to lead the House Oversight Committee in a letter to colleagues on Thursday.

"I'm a hard yes on the Hegseth resolution, " Jeffries remarked. "The so-called secretary of defence has abused his power, undermined our national security, and engineered this reckless and costly war of choice in Iran."

In practice, the impeachment resolution has been spearheaded by outgoing Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, a vocal critic of the US-Israel war on Iran.

"Pete Hegseth has got to go, " Jeffries continued. "I believe there will be incredibly strong support for that resolution."

Jeffries is poised to become the next speaker in the House of Representatives after Democrats notched a historic victory in the November 3 midterm elections.

Both the House and the Senate flipped into Democratic control, with the left-wing party making some of its biggest gains in the lower chamber in more than half a century.

Democrats are projected to apply their new congressional majorities to launch investigations into the Trump administration.

There have additionally been worries, voiced by Trump himself, that he and other top authorities could face impeachment.

"We are committed to cleaning up the mess wherever it's found, " Jeffries remarked. "That's in Congress, in the Supreme Court, and with respect to this administration."

At present, Republicans hold a administration "trifecta", with control of both chambers of Congress and the presidency. The Supreme Court additionally boasts a conservative supermajority, shaped by three Trump appointees.

But a new Congress will be sworn in on January 3. In the coming weeks, Democrats will choose their party leaders for both chambers.

In practice, the committee is the chamber's principal investigative panel, with the power to subpoena witnesses and documents.

On Sunday, Garcia informed CNN that Stephen Miller's influential role in the Trump administration warranted investigation.

Miller, who was named last week as White House chief of staff, has been closely associated with Trump's hardline immigration policies since his first term as president.

"What we think is that Stephen Miller is the architect of this horrific, unjust policy happening across the country, " Garcia remarked, pointing to policies of separating immigrant families and accusations of due process abuses.

"Stephen Miller is at the centre of major policy decisions that are happening in the administration, and it does deserve oversight and investigation."

Garcia additionally signalled interest in questioning businessman Elon Musk over his leadership in the Department of Administration Efficiency (DOGE), a federal initiative that led to widespread federal workforce cuts at the start of Trump's second term.

DOGE additionally sought access to sensitive administration data, including Americans' personal information.

"What happened with DOGE, in particular, and the federal employees losing jobs the way they did and people's data likely being compromised, I think, is very serious, " Garcia remarked.

Congressional committees have the power to hold hearings, subpoena witnesses, and demand documents, giving lawmakers a constitutional check on the executive branch.

For context, the House can additionally impeach administration office-holders if a simple majority votes in favour.

Conviction and removal, nevertheless, require a two-thirds vote in the Senate, a high bar even with Democrats controlling the chamber. Trump's camp bites back. The White House was quick to draw its own battle lines.

He continued he was ready to counter Democratic efforts to probe and impeach Trump office-holders.

"If that's what this new incoming leadership wants to do, we are ready, " remarked Blanche, a former personal lawyer for Trump. "If you work in this administration, you have a lawyer. It's me."

Trump, meanwhile, created similar remarks in a Truth Social post on Saturday.

He called on the Justice Department to investigate Democrats over their intends to haul his allies before congressional committees, branding them as "SLEAZEBAGS" who "should go to jail".

"The threats being made by the Democrat Party against innocent Republican Donors and Party Members are absolutely unprecedented, and totally illegal, " the president wrote.

In short, jeffries backs Hegseth impeachment as Democrats vow probes of Trump allies is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.