Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed, D-Mich., called on Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to resign on Tuesday, asking him, "Why are you still doing this job?"
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you → call → job
Speaking with CNN's Kaitlan Collins, El-Sayed was asked whether Democrats should revive the failed impeachment attempt against Hegseth.
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Democrats → speak → Hegseth
"Can you imagine being Pete Hegseth right now?
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you → imagine → ?
I mean it's an open question, like 'Pete, like really, just open question, why are you still doing this job?
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you → mean → job
You are failing your responsibility, you have mishandled this war, and nobody really actually understands what it is you're about,'" El-Sayed said.
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Sayed → fail → what
He spoke directly to the camera and said Hegseth was fighting a new culture war every day, but that he was supposed to be "waging an actual war that is actually illegal on its own terms."
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that → speak → terms
Make it easy for everybody instead of, in the end, getting taken out because that is clearly what's happening.
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what → make → end
So, Pete, just take it from me — like you're not good at this," El-Sayed added.
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Sayed → take → this
House Republicans killed an impeachment effort led by Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., on Tuesday, by voting 211-204 to refer the resolution to the House Judiciary Committee and avoid a full vote on impeachment.
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Republicans → kill → impeachment
All Democrats who voted opposed the motion, but 11 Democrats were absent.
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Democrats → vote → motion
President Donald Trump celebrated the failed impeachment effort in a Truth Social post, calling Massie a "total loser" and praising Hegseth's record on recruitment and military operations in Venezuela and Iran.
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Trump → celebrate → Venezuela
Collins asked El-Sayed during the CNN interview, "I mean you're talking directly to Pete Hegseth.
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you → ask → Hegseth
What do you say to those 11 Democrats who didn't show up to vote tonight?"
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who → say → Democrats
El-Sayed told Democrats to show up and "do your job," as Collins said it was "surprising" that Democratic absences helped prevent a vote on the impeachment articles.
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absences → tell → articles
The Michigan senator-elect said he fielded questions from voters while on the campaign trail about high gas and grocery prices and attributed those costs to the war in Iran.
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he → say → Iran
"Pete Hegseth has aided and abetted a president who we all know is way out of his league," he said.
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he → aid → league
"And so, you know, I think it is important for us to be recognizing that Pete Hegseth himself is the tie to the affordability that all of us crave when it comes to this administration.
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it → know → administration
"So look, you know, obviously I'm not going to be in a position to vote to impeach, and I will assess any impeachment that is done on its own merits, but it's really quite clear that Pete Hegseth is failing his responsibilities as Secretary of Defense," El-Sayed added.
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Sayed → look → Defense
The White House and the Department of War did not immediately return Fox News Digital's request for comment.
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House → return → comment
Hegseth remained defiant during a news conference Tuesday, pushing back against the impeachment effort.
He said he stood behind military operations in Iran, Venezuela and Yemen, describing them as lawful.
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he → remain → them
"What one disgruntled and defeated congressman is attempting is not oversight, it's not accountability.
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it → defeat → What
It's a political spectacle, a personal manifesto driven by ego and resentment," Hegseth said.
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Hegseth → drive → ego
"Time for one man's final days in Congress to try to do damage to this president, this country and most irresponsibly, the warriors who defend it," he added.
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he → try → it
Y. David Scharf, a government strategies and controversies attorney, told Fox News Digital in a statement, "Democrats could spend the next two years trying to impeach Pete Hegseth and end up making him stronger.
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him → tell → Hegseth
"
"Congress may have every right to investigate, demand documents and subpoena witnesses," he continued.
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he → have → witnesses
"But there’s a world of difference between holding an administration accountable and trying to remove someone simply because you don’t like his policies."
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you → ’ → policies
"Calling for Hegseth’s resignation is easy," Scharf added.
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Scharf → call → resignation
"Actually removing him requires a two-thirds vote in the Senate.
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removing → remove → Senate
And if Democrats can’t even get their own members to show up for a vote, how do they expect to convince Republicans to join them?"
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they → get → them
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