Hegseth Faces New Scrutiny After Democrats’ Midterm Gains

Trump has so far backed Hegseth, saying he is “doing a very good job” when asked whether he would replace him. But both Trump and Vance have blamed the war, which Hegseth has strongly supported and publicly defended, for the election setback. Vance said, “The reason we lost is the war,” while Trump called that explanation “largely true.”

The conflict has disrupted the global economy after Iran partially blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway. Rising prices, particularly for energy, have angered US voters. Democrats’ new majorities give them the power to investigate and seek to curb funding for the Defense Department and the war.

Representative Jason Crow, a Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, said he was “going after Pete Hegseth,” accusing the defense secretary of being “incompetent and corrupt” and of undermining national security and troop safety. Adam Smith, the committee’s top Democrat, said its priority would be vigorous oversight of the Pentagon and the Trump administration, including what he called “the illegal war against Iran.”

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said Thursday that Hegseth “will not back down” in the face of investigations and was “100 percent committed” to leading the department through the end of Trump’s term. Republican Representative Thomas Massie is also pressing to remove him. Massie said he plans to reintroduce articles of impeachment when the House returns next week, unless Hegseth resigns. He previously sought impeachment, but the Republican-controlled House recessed before voting. Massie said Democrats would pursue hearings and trials when they control Congress.

Hegseth has weathered repeated controversies since taking office in early 2025. They include a Signal chat about imminent strikes on Yemen that inadvertently included The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief; strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, including a follow-up attack that killed survivors; and the firing of numerous senior military officers, including the country’s top-ranking officer, Charles “CQ” Brown. Trump also scrapped a plan for a military firing-squad execution to be livestreamed.

Smith said the boat strikes, Trump’s deployment of troops to US cities and what he called the “blatant and corrosive politicization” of the armed forces are among the issues the new Congress may investigate.