Jeffries and Massie align to oust Defense Secretary Hegseth on Nov. 9

Washington politics will tighten around a single date in early November as House Republicans and Democrats align on a timeline to remove Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth from office. The scheduled action is set for the day after the midterm elections conclude.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries outlined the Democratic strategy during a rally in Pennsylvania earlier this month. He stated that running Hegseth out of town would be one of the first tasks for the party if it gains the majority. Jeffries said, "One of the first things we're going to do in the majority, we're going to run Pete Hegseth out of town."

Other Democratic lawmakers have voiced similar sentiments. Rep. Pramila Jayapal told CNN that Hegseth is incompetent and corrupt. Rep. Jared Huffman described the secretary as an unhinged fanatic who needs to be impeached. These comments suggest a unified stance among key House figures on the need for removal.

The push for removal is not exclusive to the minority party. Republican Rep. Thomas Massie filed articles of impeachment in September. He accused Hegseth of abusing his office by ordering hostilities against Iran without congressional approval. Massie intends to force a vote on these articles shortly after the House returns to session on Nov. 9.

The timing of the planned vote coincides with recent scrutiny of Hegseth’s international activities. The defense secretary held a covert meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Ovda air base on Monday. This meeting took place days before Israel’s election. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz attended the sit-down, while IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and other senior officials were not invited for confidentiality reasons.

Hegseth confirmed the visit to Reuters but did not elaborate on the conversation. A KAN News report stated that Iran was the main topic of discussion. The combination of Massie’s legal filings and the covert nature of the Netanyahu meeting has created a specific window for congressional action on Nov. 9.