The newly elected Democratic Member of Congress, Cait Conley from New York, has made the impeachment of Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth the top priority on the Democrats’ agenda.
During an interview on CNN’s programme ‘The Lead’ accuses Hegseth of actively undermining US national security and of having dismissed senior military officers.
National security is deteriorating every day
Conley, an openly lesbian veteran who served under the ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy in the US armed forces, stated that the federal government’s most important task is to protect the American people and the country. She claimed that the damage Hegseth is inflicting on national security is real and is getting worse every day as long as he remains in office.
– I believe that this Congress should move out on removing him… it does need to be a top priority for Democrats, for us taking back the House, and in the Senate.
She was particularly critical of Hegseth’s personnel policies. He has halted the recruitment of transgender people into the armed forces and demanded that existing transgender service members leave the service or risk dismissal. He has also put an end to LGBTQ+ initiatives and ‘woke’ policies; he has abolished the ‘diversity and inclusion offices’ and LGBTQ+ awareness days in the armed forces.
According to Conley, he is sacking some of the best military talent – leaders who consistently put the country before individuals or political parties. She also believes he is making irresponsible decisions regarding military capability, development and readiness.
– We cannot afford any more of Pete Hegseth; we must address this, and quickly.
Freshman Democrat Cait Conley calls impeaching Secretary of War Pete Hegseth a ‘top priority’ before taking office. Do you want to know the real reason she wants to do this? Because she’s a lesbian and Hegseth removed the gays from the military‼️
— Stella Jobe (@jobe67_jobe) 7 November 2026
During the election campaign, Conley has described Hegseth as a ‘threat to US national security’ and a ‘disgrace to the office’. She has indicated that she supports formal impeachment.
Hegseth’s supporters dismiss the criticism as politically motivated.
