House Democrat to file articles of impeachment against Hegseth for boat strikes: 'Allegations of war crimes'

A Democratic congressman from Michigan has announced plans to submit two articles of impeachment against Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, citing his role in lethal operations against suspected drug vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific, as well as his involvement in the Signalgate controversy.

In a social media video, Representative Shri Thanedar criticized Hegseth, saying, He is unfit for this position and appears to be engaging in unlawful activities daily. Thanedar stated that the first article would target Hegseth for murder and conspiracy to murder related to the deadly strikes on suspected narcotics boats, while the second would address the reckless handling of classified information, specifically referencing Hegseths discussion of an airstrike on Houthi forces in Yemen via the Signal messaging app.

Thanedar emphasized his commitment to the Constitution, declaring, I love the United States and will always defend its principles. Hegseth must be held accountable.

During an appearance on Fox News, Thanedar reinforced his position, stating, This secretary is incompetent and has committed war crimes. He must be removed. If lawmakers evaluate this based on its merits rather than political loyalty, action is possible. He pointed to bipartisan cooperation in the recent release of Jeffrey Epstein documents as proof that cross-party agreement can be achieved.

Meanwhile, Hegseth defended his actions at a recent cabinet meeting, asserting that decisions were made within the law amid wartime conditions. Pentagon spokesperson Kingsley Wilson criticized the impeachment attempt, calling it a distraction from the Department of Defenses accomplishments.

The announcement coincided with U.S. Southern Command reporting a recent strike on a suspected drug boat in the Pacific, resulting in four deaths and bringing the total fatalities from these operations to at least 86. This strike followed a Capitol Hill briefing by Admiral Frank Mitch Bradley, head of U.S. Special Operations Command, who showed lawmakers footage of a September 2 lethal strike.

Bradley was questioned after allegations surfaced that Hegseth had ordered a subsequent missile attack intending to eliminate all survivors from the initial strike. Connecticut Representative Jim Himes, ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, described the footage as one of the most disturbing things Ive witnessed in public service.

The Signalgate incident has further intensified scrutiny of Hegseth. The Pentagons Inspector General found that his use of Signal for operational discussions put U.S. pilots at risk and violated department policy. The situation worsened when The Atlantics editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, was accidentally included in the group chat, leading to widespread media coverage under the headline The Trump Administration Accidentally Texted Me Its War Plans.

Author: Logan Reeves