U.S. Democrats ‘strongly back’ impeachment of Secretary of War ... Justice Department calls it a ‘blatant threat’

[Financial News] Democrats in the United States, who swept both chambers in this month’s midterm elections, said they strongly support the impeachment of the Secretary of War (Defense) being pursued by anti-Trump Republicans. The Trump administration’s Justice Department emphasized that Democrats were talking about indiscriminate impeachments and investigations after the election, calling this a “blatant threat.”
Hakeem Jeffries, the House Democratic leader from New York, said in an interview with ABC on the 8th (local time) that he supports impeaching U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. He is the leading contender to become House speaker in the new Congress, which begins on January 3 next year. “I strongly support impeaching Hegseth,” Jeffries said, criticizing him for “abusing his power as a so-called secretary and undermining national security, driving prices sky-high, and starting a reckless and costly war with Iran that threatens the country’s safety.”
“Hegseth must step down,” Jeffries said, adding that Democratic lawmakers gathering in Washington, D.C., for the first time since the midterm elections would discuss the issue.
The impeachment effort against Hegseth in Congress is currently being led by Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who has frequently clashed with U.S. President Donald Trump. Massie filed an impeachment resolution against Hegseth last September but failed to achieve his goal. He told ABC that he plans to refile the resolution against Hegseth on the 9th. Massie’s resolution lays out eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth, including an alleged violation of the 1973 War Powers Act.
Trump said on the 5th that Hegseth “has done a fantastic job. I intend to keep him in the job.” Hegseth also claimed on social media that day: “One disgruntled, defeated congressman and all his Democratic allies have filed a false impeachment case against me, just as they tried twice against the president.”
Jeffries also called Trump’s decision to appoint White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller as chief of staff, succeeding Susie Wiles, an irresponsible choice, and said he would not communicate with Miller. Also that day, Democratic Representative Robert Garcia of California said, “Miller is at the center of major policy decisions made by this administration. So oversight and investigation of him are absolutely necessary.” Garcia is currently the ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and is a leading contender to become its next chair. Shortly after the midterm elections, he named the Trump family, companies that donated to the construction of the White House ballroom, and even Tesla CEO Elon Musk as potential targets of investigations.
Meanwhile, Attorney General Todd Blanche, appearing on CNN on the 8th, criticized Democrats, saying, “They are already going around talking about investigations and impeachment without any basis, even before they have taken power,” and calling it a “blatant threat.”
Asked whether investigations would be launched against Democratic lawmakers, Blanche said, “If the threats become so malicious and dangerous that we reach the point of telling college students, ‘If you want to work in the Trump administration, you need to be careful,’ then we have to draw a line.” Blanche added, “If Garcia targets Stephen Miller over something he believes warrants it, the Justice Department will of course step in to defend him,” and said the same would apply if anyone targeted a cabinet secretary or government official, including Hegseth.
 

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