President Donald Trump fired back at Democrats on Thursday over their growing chatter about impeaching War Secretary Pete Hegseth, warning that Republicans could return fire if the opposing party goes down that road.
Speaking to reporters before departing for a campaign rally in Rock Hill, South Carolina, Trump was asked whether he was concerned that Democrats might try to remove Hegseth if they win back the House in next week’s midterm elections.
“I think it’s terrible. All they do is they talk about impeaching everybody,” the president said.
Trump then issued a pointed warning to Democrats.
“Honestly, if we wanted to play that game, we could play it just as well,” he said.
The president went on to praise Hegseth, saying the Pentagon chief is doing a “great job” and calling him a “great warrior.”
It was not immediately clear exactly what Trump meant by his warning. He has previously threatened to veto every piece of legislation Democrats put forward during the remainder of his term should they take control of Congress.
Hegseth has become a top target for Democrats heading into Election Day. In April, a group of House Democrats led by Rep. Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz., filed six articles of impeachment against him, accusing him of “high crimes and misdemeanors” over the war with Iran and the military’s strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean.
Other House Democrats have targeted Hegseth for blocking promotions of one- and two-star officers in the Army, Navy and Air Force, arguing the move undermines military readiness.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., who would likely become speaker if Democrats flip the chamber, said earlier this week that his party would pressure Hegseth to leave the administration. However, he stopped short of committing to impeachment, saying only that he would act consistently with his long-standing position that Trump should fire the secretary.
The push isn’t coming solely from the left. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who lost his primary and will leave Congress in January, launched his own impeachment effort last month and has said he plans to force a vote on articles against Hegseth when the House returns after the midterms.
Several House Democrats have said they would back Massie’s effort and would separately support a Democrat-led push to remove Hegseth if their party wins the majority.
Political observers have noted that Hegseth may be a more attractive target for Democrats than the president himself. Going after a Cabinet secretary allows the party to show its base it is willing to confront the administration without the political risk of a third presidential impeachment.
Even if the House were to impeach Hegseth, removal would require a two-thirds vote in the Senate, a threshold widely seen as out of reach.
Democrats currently hold a sizable lead on the generic congressional ballot heading into the Nov. 3 midterms, fueled in part by concerns over the Iran conflict and rising costs.
Trump has campaigned aggressively for Republican candidates in the closing weeks of the race, holding rallies across multiple battleground and traditionally red states.
