Democrats vow aggressive oversight of Defense Secretary Hegseth if they win Congress

House Democrats are preparing to target Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth with intensive oversight should they gain control of Congress following the November midterms. Representatives Pat Ryan, Jason Crow and ranking member Robert Garcia warned they will “buckle up and lawyer up,” promising to use every available mechanism to investigate the secretary’s troubled confirmation, accusations of sexual assault, alcoholism, financial irregularities, and alleged war-crimes.

They also cited recent leaks known as the Signalgate saga and controversies over Pentagon contracting and personnel purges. The Democrats, who enjoy an eight-point lead in the upcoming congressional ballot, say they are ready to move to remove Hegseth and his team if they win. The Pentagon’s spokeswoman Kingsley Wilson described Hegseth as a “transformative leader” with department-wide support. No comment was obtained from Hegseth himself.