Rep. Johnny Olszewski (D-MD) made it clear in a recent interview that impeachment proceedings against Veterans Affairs Secretary Pete Hegseth would take precedence over addressing economic issues if Hegseth remains in office. Speaking on NewsNation’s “Cuomo,” the Maryland Democrat emphasized that while he’d rather tackle pocketbook concerns, accountability for Hegseth’s alleged misconduct is unavoidable.
Impeachment Looms Without Resignation
Olszewski argued the situation could be resolved swiftly if either Hegseth steps down or President Trump removes him. “The best thing would be for Secretary Hegseth to resign,” he said, pointing to bipartisan criticism of the secretary. He cited Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), who reportedly called Hegseth’s confirmation the “worst decision of his career,” and Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), a military veteran who questioned the secretary’s leadership qualifications.
List of Allegations Builds Case
The congressman accused Hegseth of a string of failures, including leaking war plans via encrypted messaging app Signal, replacing military professionals with social media influencers, and financial mismanagement. “This Secretary has cost almost 100 lives of our military servicemembers,” Olszewski claimed, adding that Hegseth’s tenure allegedly drained tens of billions from federal coffers while inflating everyday costs for Americans.
Economic Concerns Take Backseat
Despite prioritizing kitchen-table issues like gas and grocery prices—which he acknowledged were top voter concerns—Olszewski framed impeachment as a necessary step. “If they don’t do the right thing, there has to be accountability,” he stated, confirming Democrats would advance existing impeachment articles filed by a Republican colleague unless Hegseth exits voluntarily.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2026/11/07/dem-rep-olszewski-id-like-to-focus-on-costs-but-we-have-to-impeach-hegseth/