Army Veteran Who Flipped North Carolina House Seat Calls for Pete Hegseth's Impeachment

Rep.-elect Richard Ojeda, a U.S. Army veteran who flipped North Carolina's 9th Congressional District in Tuesday's midterm elections, said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth should "absolutely" face impeachment, citing the ongoing war with Iran as justification. Ojeda, a retired Army major with two Bronze Stars, defeated Republican Richard Hudson by about two percentage points in a district held by the GOP since 1963. He called for accountability, stating the administration is "committed to a war with no exit strategy" and that impeachment proceedings should begin once Democrats take office. The Pentagon defended Hegseth, with spokesperson Sean Parnell calling the impeachment calls "phony investigations" and "sham witch hunts." Outgoing Republican Rep. Thomas Massie has also introduced articles of impeachment against Hegseth. Ojeda, who served 24 years in the military with combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, has previously criticized Hegseth, saying he carries the names of 13 fallen brothers tattooed on his body.