Former Pentagon Adviser Calls Hegseth a War Criminal

Bryant, who was pushed out of his Pentagon job last year, described the killings as extrajudicial and said Hegseth was “conducting state terrorism.” The allegations come as Hegseth faces calls to leave office and a threatened impeachment effort following midterm election losses.

The Intercept reported that sources in the Defense Department and on Capitol Hill believe Hegseth’s tenure may be nearing an end, citing what one source characterized as an “endless raft of scandals, culture-war clownishness, and senseless policies.” President Donald Trump has indicated he continues to support Hegseth, while Democratic leaders have said they intend to use their new congressional majorities to remove him.

A senior congressional staffer told The Intercept that an impeachment resolution from outgoing Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) could attract substantial bipartisan support if Hegseth refuses to step down. The staffer said some senior Republicans in national security circles blame Hegseth for election losses and are asking what they would lose by voting to impeach him.

Massie urged Trump in a Thursday social media post to replace Hegseth while Senate confirmation of a successor remains possible. He called his impeachment resolution a “much gentler version” of what Democrats could pursue when they control Congress, including hearings and trials.

Hegseth responded in a social media video by vowing to stay at the Pentagon and calling the impeachment articles “sham.” Richard Ojeda, a retired US Army major who won the Democratic nomination in North Carolina’s 9th congressional district on Tuesday, called Hegseth a war criminal. Former Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.) urged Congress to impeach and remove him, then prosecute him for war crimes. Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) also predicted Hegseth would soon lose his job, accusing him of failing servicemembers and starting “new forever wars.”