Democratic lawmakers publicly escalated their calls to remove Pete Hegseth from the Pentagon, while a separate report surfaced about paid work by his wife for a Washington consulting firm.
Impeachment threats from Hill Democrats
Rep. Chris Deluzio (D‑PA) said, “Pete Hegseth should be gone as defense secretary,” adding he plans to push for “real oversight” and that he wants to impeach Hegseth if President Trump does not fire him, according to The Gateway Pundit.
Rep. Jason Crow (D‑CO) said in a video posted to social media, “I’m going after Pete Hegseth,” accusing him of “undermining our national security and the safety of our troops.” Crow also alleged Hegseth has done “everything from threatening to do live executions, via live stream, to disparaging women and folks of color.”
Report spotlights pay to Jennifer Hegseth
The Gateway Pundit reported that a financial disclosure shows Jennifer Hegseth was paid by a Washington consulting firm while her husband served in a top Pentagon role. The outlet said the firm, described as Trump‑connected, has provided consulting to defense contractors, including Lockheed Martin. Jennifer Hegseth is a former Fox News executive.
Firm and Pentagon responses
A spokesperson for the firm, Watchtower, told Politico, “It should be no surprise that a public affairs firm would want to work with one of the biggest former star producers at Fox News… Jen has assisted us in navigating conservative TV media, and we appreciate her help. She has not interfaced with any clients nor does she provide any advice to Watchtower on defense matters.”
Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told Politico, “Secretary Hegseth and his wife are in full compliance with all ethics laws and regulations, and their sole focus is serving our warfighters, President Trump, and the American people.”
Conservative criticism
Former Rep. Matt Gaetz criticized the arrangement, posting, “Wives of Cabinet members shouldn’t be paid by lobbyists,” and adding that he would have exposed the same “wrongdoing” if it involved the spouse of former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, per his social media post cited by The Gateway Pundit.
