Arizona Democrat Rep. Yassamin Ansari said Monday that she will introduce articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth next week, accusing him of repeatedly violating his oath of office and the Constitution. She said his reckless endangerment of U.S. servicemembers and repeated war crimes are grounds for impeachment and removal from office.
Ansari wrote on X that Trump is escalating a devastating, illegal war, threatening massive war crimes and targeting civilian infrastructure in Iran. In the last 48 hours, she said, the rhetoric has crossed every line and Hegseth is complicit. She has also called for Trump’s Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove him from office, saying it exists for a reason and should be used.
The move comes as public opposition to U.S. strikes on Iran has been running ahead of support. An Ipsos poll conducted March 13 to 15 found 58 percent disapproved of the strikes, while 38 percent approved. Ansari’s effort is unlikely to succeed in Congress, where Republicans control both chambers, and conviction on impeachment charges would require a two-thirds Senate majority.
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The clash sharpened further Monday when President Donald Trump said he was not worried about concerns over targeting Iranian civilian infrastructure. Asked about the issue, he said, “I’m not worried about it,” and added, “You know the war crime? The war crime is allowing Iran to have a nuclear weapon.” Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson dismissed Ansari as “just another Democrat trying to make headlines,” and said Hegseth would “continue to protect the homeland and unleash epic fury on Iran’s radical regime.”
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Ansari’s warning carries a personal edge. Her parents fled Iran after the Islamic Revolution and settled in the United States, giving her criticism of the administration’s Iran policy a family history that is impossible to miss. Hegseth has also faced criticism over a missile strike on an Iranian elementary school that is thought to have killed at least 175 people, most of them children. Next week, Ansari plans to force a vote that is almost certain to fail but will put the administration’s war footing back in the spotlight.
