Thanedar may struggle to garner support for his proposal even from his own party, however: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) has already
dismissed the viability of trying to impeach Hegseth.The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Driving the news: Thanedar will unveil his articles of impeachment Thursday morning during a rally at Union Station in Washington, D.C., his office said in a press advisory.
The articles will accuse Hegseth of "Murder and Conspiracy to Murder and Reckless and Unlawful Mishandling of Classified Information," the advisory said.He will be joined at the rally by FLARE, a group pushing for Trump to be impeached.
Yes, but: Jeffries, asked at a Monday press conference about the possibility of impeaching Hegseth, shooed away the idea.
"Republicans will never allow articles of impeachment to be brought to the floor of the House of Representatives, and we know that's the case," he said."Donald Trump will order them not to do it," he added.
Between the lines: Impeachment has been a source of considerable internal division for Democrats this year.
The party's grassroots base has pushed hard for it, but lawmakers view the maneuver as procedurally hopeless and politically fraught.
The other side: "While Shri tries to win points with his base to fend off his political opponents, Secretary Hegseth will continue to protect the homeland," said Pentagon spokesperson Kingsley Wilson.
"This is just another charade in an attempt to distract the American people from the major successes we have had here at the Department of War."
What we're hearing: House Democrats and leadership aides who spoke to Axios largely dismissed the move, with one senior House Democrat telling Axios: "It's Shri..."
"Outside groups will support" the maneuver, the senior lawmaker predicted, but "someone who people respect will have to do a real one if that happens … he is doing it for press and he will get it."Thanedar has been
harshly criticized by his colleagues in the past for his repeated attempts to impeach Trump.
Editor's note: This article has been updated with reaction from the Pentagon, House Democrats and leadership aides to Rep. Shri Thanedar's announcement.
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