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Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth looks to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine as he speaks during a press briefing on April 8, 2026 in Arlington, Virginia.
(Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Hegseth Impeachment Articles Land as Thousands More US Troops Deploy for Iran War
The new articles of impeachment unveiled by House Democrats accuse the Pentagon chief of directing an illegal war and backing deadly attacks on civilians.
Apr 15, 2026
House Democrats officially unveiled five articles of impeachment against Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday as the US military announced a deployment of thousands of additional troops to the Middle East, even as President Donald Trump claims his war of choice in Iran is "very close to over."
The seven-page impeachment resolution, led by Iranian American Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.), accuses Hegseth of directing and participating in an assault on Iran "in direct contravention of Article I of the Constitution," which gives Congress the sole authority to declare war; authorizing or failing to prevent the use of deadly military force against civilians, specifically in the horrific attack on the girls' school in southern Iran; potentially violating the Geneva Conventions by declaring that "no quarter" would be given to "our enemies"; and more.
"I am introducing articles of impeachment against Pete Hegseth for repeatedly violating his oath of office and his duty to the Constitution," Ansari said in a statement last week announcing the impeachment push. "Only Congress has the power to declare war, not a rogue president or his lackeys. Hegseth’s reckless endangerment of US servicemembers and repeated war crimes, including bombing a girls’ school in Minab, Iran and willfully targeting civilian infrastructure, are grounds for impeachment and removal from office."
Axios reported Wednesday that Ansari introduced the impeachment articles with eight original cosponsors, all Democrats: Reps. Steve Cohen of Tennessee, Jasmine Crockett of Texas, Nikema Williams of Georgia, Dina Titus of Nevada, David Min of California, Shri Thanedar of Michigan, Brittany Pettersen of Colorado, and Sarah McBride of Delaware.
The Democratic effort to impeach Hegseth is "also supported by several progressive and anti-war groups, including MoveOn, Indivisible, and the Center for International Policy," Axios noted.
The impeachment articles landed in the House as the Pentagon deployed roughly 6,000 additional troops to the Middle East amid a highly tenuous ceasefire in Iran. The Washington Post reported that the Trump administration is "considering the possibility of additional strikes or ground operations" in Iran if the two-week ceasefire deal collapses.
According to the Post, the American forces now heading to the Middle East "include about 6,000 troops aboard the aircraft carrier USS George HW Bush and several warships escorting it."
"About 4,200 others with the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group and its embarked Marine Corps task force, the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, are expected to arrive near the end of the month," the Post added.
The forces will join the estimated 55,000 US troops currently stationed in the region for a conflict that Trump has repeatedly claimed is all but over and won.
“We’ve beaten them militarily, totally,” Trump, who is also facing an impeachment push and growing calls for his removal via the 25th Amendment, told Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo in an interview that aired Wednesday. “I think it’s close to over, I view it as very close to over."
"If I pulled up stakes right now it would take them 20 years to rebuild that country," Trump added, "and we’re not finished."
Trump also repeated his threat to commit grave war crimes in Iran, declaring that the US military could "take out every one of their bridges in one hour."
"We could take out every one of their power plants, electric power plants, in one hour," the president added.
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House Democrats officially unveiled five articles of impeachment against Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday as the US military announced a deployment of thousands of additional troops to the Middle East, even as President Donald Trump claims his war of choice in Iran is "very close to over."
The seven-page impeachment resolution, led by Iranian American Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.), accuses Hegseth of directing and participating in an assault on Iran "in direct contravention of Article I of the Constitution," which gives Congress the sole authority to declare war; authorizing or failing to prevent the use of deadly military force against civilians, specifically in the horrific attack on the girls' school in southern Iran; potentially violating the Geneva Conventions by declaring that "no quarter" would be given to "our enemies"; and more.
"I am introducing articles of impeachment against Pete Hegseth for repeatedly violating his oath of office and his duty to the Constitution," Ansari said in a statement last week announcing the impeachment push. "Only Congress has the power to declare war, not a rogue president or his lackeys. Hegseth’s reckless endangerment of US servicemembers and repeated war crimes, including bombing a girls’ school in Minab, Iran and willfully targeting civilian infrastructure, are grounds for impeachment and removal from office."
Axios reported Wednesday that Ansari introduced the impeachment articles with eight original cosponsors, all Democrats: Reps. Steve Cohen of Tennessee, Jasmine Crockett of Texas, Nikema Williams of Georgia, Dina Titus of Nevada, David Min of California, Shri Thanedar of Michigan, Brittany Pettersen of Colorado, and Sarah McBride of Delaware.
The Democratic effort to impeach Hegseth is "also supported by several progressive and anti-war groups, including MoveOn, Indivisible, and the Center for International Policy," Axios noted.
The impeachment articles landed in the House as the Pentagon deployed roughly 6,000 additional troops to the Middle East amid a highly tenuous ceasefire in Iran. The Washington Post reported that the Trump administration is "considering the possibility of additional strikes or ground operations" in Iran if the two-week ceasefire deal collapses.
According to the Post, the American forces now heading to the Middle East "include about 6,000 troops aboard the aircraft carrier USS George HW Bush and several warships escorting it."
"About 4,200 others with the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group and its embarked Marine Corps task force, the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, are expected to arrive near the end of the month," the Post added.
The forces will join the estimated 55,000 US troops currently stationed in the region for a conflict that Trump has repeatedly claimed is all but over and won.
“We’ve beaten them militarily, totally,” Trump, who is also facing an impeachment push and growing calls for his removal via the 25th Amendment, told Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo in an interview that aired Wednesday. “I think it’s close to over, I view it as very close to over."
"If I pulled up stakes right now it would take them 20 years to rebuild that country," Trump added, "and we’re not finished."
Trump also repeated his threat to commit grave war crimes in Iran, declaring that the US military could "take out every one of their bridges in one hour."
"We could take out every one of their power plants, electric power plants, in one hour," the president added.
House Democrats officially unveiled five articles of impeachment against Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday as the US military announced a deployment of thousands of additional troops to the Middle East, even as President Donald Trump claims his war of choice in Iran is "very close to over."
The seven-page impeachment resolution, led by Iranian American Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.), accuses Hegseth of directing and participating in an assault on Iran "in direct contravention of Article I of the Constitution," which gives Congress the sole authority to declare war; authorizing or failing to prevent the use of deadly military force against civilians, specifically in the horrific attack on the girls' school in southern Iran; potentially violating the Geneva Conventions by declaring that "no quarter" would be given to "our enemies"; and more.
"I am introducing articles of impeachment against Pete Hegseth for repeatedly violating his oath of office and his duty to the Constitution," Ansari said in a statement last week announcing the impeachment push. "Only Congress has the power to declare war, not a rogue president or his lackeys. Hegseth’s reckless endangerment of US servicemembers and repeated war crimes, including bombing a girls’ school in Minab, Iran and willfully targeting civilian infrastructure, are grounds for impeachment and removal from office."
Axios reported Wednesday that Ansari introduced the impeachment articles with eight original cosponsors, all Democrats: Reps. Steve Cohen of Tennessee, Jasmine Crockett of Texas, Nikema Williams of Georgia, Dina Titus of Nevada, David Min of California, Shri Thanedar of Michigan, Brittany Pettersen of Colorado, and Sarah McBride of Delaware.
The Democratic effort to impeach Hegseth is "also supported by several progressive and anti-war groups, including MoveOn, Indivisible, and the Center for International Policy," Axios noted.
The impeachment articles landed in the House as the Pentagon deployed roughly 6,000 additional troops to the Middle East amid a highly tenuous ceasefire in Iran. The Washington Post reported that the Trump administration is "considering the possibility of additional strikes or ground operations" in Iran if the two-week ceasefire deal collapses.
According to the Post, the American forces now heading to the Middle East "include about 6,000 troops aboard the aircraft carrier USS George HW Bush and several warships escorting it."
"About 4,200 others with the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group and its embarked Marine Corps task force, the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, are expected to arrive near the end of the month," the Post added.
The forces will join the estimated 55,000 US troops currently stationed in the region for a conflict that Trump has repeatedly claimed is all but over and won.
“We’ve beaten them militarily, totally,” Trump, who is also facing an impeachment push and growing calls for his removal via the 25th Amendment, told Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo in an interview that aired Wednesday. “I think it’s close to over, I view it as very close to over."
"If I pulled up stakes right now it would take them 20 years to rebuild that country," Trump added, "and we’re not finished."
Trump also repeated his threat to commit grave war crimes in Iran, declaring that the US military could "take out every one of their bridges in one hour."
"We could take out every one of their power plants, electric power plants, in one hour," the president added.
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