Incoming Democratic Rep. Zach Dembo of Kentucky said Wednesday that talk of impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is premature, even as some of his colleagues push for ousting the Pentagon chief following a failed House vote.
“Look, I just got elected a week ago. I don’t even have an office yet,” Dembo told MS NOW’s Peter Alexander. “I did not come here with the goal of impeachment. I came here with the goal of driving down costs and fighting corruption.”
The former Navy judge advocate and federal prosecutor said he is “worried about a lot of things that came out of the Pentagon” and wants accountability in the 120th Congress, but he stressed the need to see the actual articles before taking a position. “It’s premature at this point without having seen what the articles are,” he said.
His comments come after House Republicans successfully sidelined eight impeachment articles filed by outgoing Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) against Hegseth. The articles focused on Hegseth’s handling of the ongoing conflict with Iran, as well as accusations of abuse of power in other operations, including the seizure of Venezuela’s president and the killing of alleged drug smugglers in international waters.
The vote exposed Democratic disarray — 11 Democrats missed the roll call, with some citing traffic or scheduling conflicts, drawing criticism from colleagues. The absences helped Republicans defeat the measure.
Massie, who lost his primary to a Trump-backed challenger, has been a frequent ally of Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) on this issue. Khanna said Tuesday that Hegseth’s impeachment is a top priority for the new Congress. Other Democrats, like Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.), have echoed that urgency, telling NewsNation that Hegseth’s days “are numbered.”
Meanwhile, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) predicted that Hegseth will either resign, be fired, or be impeached in the second half of President Trump’s term.
Dembo, who flipped a Kentucky House seat, said his background as a Navy JAG and Justice Department prosecutor makes him cautious. “I’m never going to speculate without seeing the evidence first,” he said.
The debate over Hegseth’s future is likely to intensify as Democrats prepare to take control of the House. Ocasio-Cortez has endorsed Massie’s push, and some Democrats warn his tenure is nearing an end.
For now, Dembo is focused on the basics. “Accountability at the Pentagon has to be a priority of the 120th,” he said, but added, “I’ll tell you, I’m certainly interested in making sure there’s accountability, but it’s premature at this point.”
