These 3 Trump Cabinet officials are facing impeachment threats from rogue Dems
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President Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in August 2025. Photo: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Three members of President Trump's Cabinet have become the target of impeachment threats in recent weeks.
Why it matters: Democrats have, until very recently, been timid about impeachment, which would be unlikely to pass in either chamber. But the base has been urging Dems to act more combatively against Trump and his administration.
Read below for more on the Cabinet members being threatened with impeachment.
Kristi Noem
Driving the news: Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.) is pushing the House Judiciary Committee to file articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Axios' Andrew Solender scooped Thursday.
- In a letter to committee leaders, Ramirez called for an investigation into Noem's "unlawful and potentially impeachable actions."
- Ramirez accused Noem of "unethical behavior" over reports that a firm linked to the DHS secretary allegedly received DHS contract money and that the Coast Guard spent millions to buy Noem private jets.
- Ramirez also alleges Noem made "false and misleading" statements to Congress over DHS and ICE operations and undermined the separation of powers by ignoring court orders.
What they're saying: "As a self-proclaimed 'Guatemala first' politician, we are not shocked that Rep Ramirez is more focused on showmanship than actual policy work including hours before a hearing," a DHS spokesperson told Axios in an emailed statement.
- "We hope she would get serious about doing her job to protect American people, which is what this Department is doing under Secretary Noem."
Pete Hegseth
State of play: Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.) introduced impeachment articles earlier this month accusing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth of "Murder and Conspiracy to Murder and Reckless and Unlawful Mishandling of Classified Information."
- The efforts centered around two scandals — the recent controversy around Signalgate (which centered on the use of private messaging apps to discuss military operations) and allegations of a follow-up strike targeting an alleged Venezuelan drug boat.
What they're saying: "While Shri tries to win points with his base to fend off his political opponents, Secretary Hegseth will continue to protect the homeland," Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson said in a statement to Axios on Thursday.
- "This is just another charade in an attempt to distract the American people from the major successes we have had here at the Department of War."
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
On Wednesday, Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) filed articles of impeachment against the Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr.
- The articles charge Kennedy with "abuse of authority and undermining of the public health."
- The 13-page filing points to several public health policy decisions from the last few months, including making cuts to vaccine research, drawing links between Tylenol use and autism, and firing HHS advisory panel members.
Worthy of your time: HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon told Axios that the impeachment proceedings were "partisan theatrics designed to elevate standing in a failing, third-rate Senate bid."
- This seemed to be a reference to Stevens, who is currently running in a primary for U.S. Senate in Michigan
HHS did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment Thursday.
Democrats divided over impeachment
- A few Democrats have gone rogue by mounting impeachment efforts without support from the party leadership.
The latest: Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) filed articles of impeachment against Trump and called for an impeachment vote on Wednesday, yet another sign that the impeachment wave isn't slowing down yet.
Context: Many Democrats have argued that impeachment efforts are pointless distractions and political theater, which can divert from party messaging.
- In June, several House Democrats joined their Republican colleagues in arguing against trying to impeach Trump over strikes on Iranian nuclear sites unilaterally.
Can Dems impeach Noem, Hegseth or RFK?
It's unlikely that any of these impeachment efforts will work.
- Democrats can't impeach Trump Cabinet officials on their own. They would need Republican votes to force the articles to the floor for a vote.
- If the House did end up voting on impeachment, Republicans would need to break from party lines for the articles to ultimately be sent to the Senate for trial.
- Since Republicans control the House and the White House, they'd also have to break from President Trump to impeach one of his cabinet officials.
The intrigue: Impeachment of a cabinet official is rare in general, having only happened twice in history — once with former War Secretary William Belknap in 1876 and then again with Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas in 2024.
- The House's impeachment of Mayorkas, a Biden administration official, was rare and couldn't be replicated in 2025.
- Back then, Republicans controlled the House, but not the White House, which allowed them to put the articles on the floor for a vote and impeach the Democratic Cabinet official in Mayorkas.
- The Senate ultimately acquitted Mayorkas.
More from Axios:
- Signalgate report finds Hegseth potentially put U.S. forces at risk
- Jeffries says not to expect Dems to pursue Hegseth impeachment
Editor's note: This story has been updated with a DHS statement.
