Washington — Rep. French Hill, an Arkansas Republican, said Sunday that he has not decided whether to support an impeachment effort against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Lawmakers are set to return to Capitol Hill this week for the first time since voters delivered a sweeping rebuke to the GOP in the midterm elections, amid growing concern over the war in Iran.
“I want to hear the debate and determine whether it merits impeachment, rather than some other disciplinary action or action by the president if he’s not effectively leading the Department of War,” Hill said on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.”
Hegseth is expected to face intense scrutiny this week as long-standing frustrations have boiled over following the midterm elections. Republicans suffered significant losses, with many voters pointing to the war in Iran and its effect on the cost of living. Before lawmakers left Washington to campaign, outgoing GOP Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky introduced articles of impeachment against Hegseth. Massie said this week that he intends to move forward with an effort to force a vote.
Hill said he is dissatisfied with the way the war has been managed. He also stressed that “the commander in chief has to take responsibility for the strategy of conducting the war and how it’s been conducted.”
“But I’ll tell you one thing: There’s nobody in America who wants Iran to have a nuclear weapon,” Hill said. “This has been a goal of the United States for five decades.”
When asked whether Hegseth should be impeached, Hill shifted the focus to the White House. “The question is for the president: Should he continue to serve as the Secretary of War?” he said.
Hill also distinguished between poor job performance and conduct that would qualify as an impeachable offense. Under the Constitution, impeachment is reserved for “high Crimes and Misdemeanors.”
“If you don’t think he’s done a good job conducting his job, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s committed an impeachable offense,” Hill said.
The Arkansas Republican added that if Hegseth is not “conducting his mission in the right way,” then “the president ought to make a change there.”
“The question is: Are we leading at the Pentagon in the right way or not the right way?” Hill said. “That’s very separate from whether or not somebody has committed an impeachable offense.”
