It is reported that the U.S. Democratic Party plans to pursue a full-scale congressional investigation targeting Secretary of Defense (War) Pete Hegseth if it regains the majority in the House of Representatives through the November 3 midterm elections.
Some have raised the possibility that Minister Hegseth may resign voluntarily to avoid Congress's offensive, but Minister Hegseth dismissed this and stated that he would remain in his position until the end of President Donald Trump's term.
The Washington Post (WP) reported on the 1st (local time) that the Democratic Party is expected to pursue a multi-faceted investigation into Minister Hegseth if it secures the majority in the new Congress to be inaugurated in January next year.
Rep. Adam Smith (Washington), the Democratic ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, said in an interview with WP that if he becomes chairman, he will investigate three major areas: military operations, politicization of the military, and suspicions of corruption in the Pentagon's defense contract process.
Regarding military operations, the Iran war and the U.S. military's attack on suspected drug trafficking ships in Central and South America are expected to be major targets of investigation. The politicization of the military refers to the controversy over Secretary Hegseth's dismissal of military leaders one after another based on their loyalty to President Trump and ideological inclinations.
Officials said that the Ministry of Defense is also preparing for the possibility that military officials will have to appear before Congress and testify if the Democratic Party secures leadership in Congress.
Before this, Minister Hegseth is expected to face a political juncture in the form of an impeachment vote.
WP reported that there is a high possibility that an impeachment bill will be voted on in the House of Representatives when lawmakers return to Washington after the midterm elections at the end of this month.
This impeachment bill is being led by Republican Representative Thomas Massey (Kentucky), who has frequently criticized the Trump administration, taking issue with the Iran War that was carried out without the consent of Congress.
Massey said it was quite possible that the impeachment bill would pass in the House of Representatives and that it would be a stain on Secretary Hegseth's career. "If he's considering resigning, now would be a good time," he said.
However, even if the impeachment bill passes the House of Representatives, it is unlikely to pass the Senate, so it is believed that the likelihood of Secretary Hegseth actually being removed from office is very low.
The fact that there is a movement to check Minister Hegseth even within the Republican Party shows that his political position is shaking.
This spring, the Republican-led Senate Armed Services Committee reportedly pressured the Department of Defense to block the confirmation of one of the Trump administration's nominees if the Department of Defense did not respond to a request for several months to submit data on attacks on U.S. forces on suspected drug trafficking ships in Central and South America.
In the end, Minister Hegseth accepted the parliament's request, two people familiar with the situation said.
Some in the administration and Congress are speculating that if the Republican Party suffers a crushing defeat in the midterm elections, Secretary Hegseth may resign to avoid a congressional investigation or pursue a political path.
But Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement that Hegseth remains "100 percent committed" to leading the Department through the end of Trump's term, "despite threats of false witch hunts."
Spokesperson Parnell said, "Secretary Hegseth will not back down or be intimidated by politicians seeking partisan gain or attempting to conduct false investigations when no wrongdoing was done," and emphasized that the Department of Defense has complied with the law.
Two sources who know Minister Hegseth's intentions also said that he wants to remain in his position as minister until the end of President Trump's four-year term.
