The United States Congress reconvened in Washington on Monday for the first time since Democrats swept to control of both chambers in the November 3 midterm elections, and immediately plunged into a political crisis over the country’s defense leadership.
Republican Representative Thomas Massie introduced articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, accusing him of having, in the document’s words, “knowingly executed and implemented unlawful orders to initiate war against a foreign nation.” CNN, which reviewed the text, reported that a House vote could come as soon as Wednesday, November 11.
Trump stands by Hegseth
President Donald Trump told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins he would stand by Hegseth if the impeachment effort moves forward. CNN’s analysis described the fight as the first major test of Trump’s political authority since Republicans lost control of Congress, and reported that the administration intends to use executive power “with even greater force” in the new political landscape.
The dispute lands at a delicate moment. According to The Hill, Senate Republicans have privately expressed anger at Trump, blaming him for the loss of both the House and Senate. A defense secretary facing formal impeachment proceedings over allegations of unlawful war orders is also likely to draw close attention from NATO allies monitoring the stability of US defense leadership.
Trump questions his own party’s defeat
In a notable reversal from the week following the election, Trump has begun suggesting, without evidence, that voting machines were compromised, according to live coverage cited by Yahoo News and the Associated Press. The claims echo arguments he made after losing the 2020 presidential election, which were never substantiated in court.
Several races remain unresolved regardless. Senate contests in Mississippi and Alaska were still too close to call as of Monday. In Colorado, CNN projected that Republican Representative Lauren Boebert lost her seat to Democrat Eileen Laubacher. In South Florida, Republican Mario Díaz-Balart, seeking a 12th term, narrowly held his seat against Democrat Nicole Locklin, leading by roughly 1,700 votes with nearly all expected ballots counted, according to NBC News.
“People need to believe in government for democracy to work,” said Jefferson, a Democratic member of Congress-elect who flipped a Republican-held, Trump-voting district, according to CNN.
Jefferson, discussing the wave of post-election scrutiny facing the administration, added that it is “human nature” to investigate after such a result, CNN reported.
This article was researched and drafted with AI assistance and reviewed by Lasse Pedersen before publication. How we use AI
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