Jeffries shredded over Hegseth impeachment snafu as Dem jockeys for speakers gavel

Back-to-back blunders on the House floor are raising questions over whether Democrats are ready for primetime as they're poised to take over the majority — and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., makes a bid for the top role.Democrats are projected to win 255 House seats, with 12 races yet to be called, and Jeffries is running to be Speaker of the House following the sweeping victories last week that saw the party make gains even in traditional Republican strongholds like Texas, Mississippi, Kansas and South Carolina.But some have questioned whether the recent snafus signal that Jeffries and other leaders may not be ready to be in command of the House majority."I may have to rethink my support of Hakeem Jeffries after the Hegseth impeachment vote," Fred Trump III, a Democrat, author and nephew of President Donald Trump, posted on X."Eleven Democrats do not show up? All Republicans vote it down.""Pete Hegseth is laughing at you and is stronger today.

Shame," he continued."A slap in the face of the military and veterans on this important day."House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries speaks alongside Rep.

Pete Aguilar and Rep.Katherine Clark during a news conference in Washington, D.C., on Jan.

8, 2026.(Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)HEGSETH THWARTS GOP-LED IMPEACHMENT PUSH AS QUESTIONS SWIRL OVER WHETHER ALLEGATIONS RISE TO HIGH CRIMESHouse GOP leaders' successfully blocked Rep.

Thomas Massie, R-Ky., from leading the charge to impeach Secretary of War Pete Hegseth earlier this week.Part of the reason for the failure was the absence of 11 House Democrats during a procedural vote on Tuesday evening.Had just seven of them been present, the vote to kill Massie's impeachment resolution would have failed, triggering debate and a vote on impeaching the Cabinet secretary likely the next day."Everyone knew that attendance was key tonight but somehow Democratic leaders failed to deliver and handed Republicans a win," Demand Progress Executive Director Sean Vitka said in a...