By Chris Walker / Truthout
Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar (Minnesota) is reportedly drafting articles of impeachment against three Trump administration officials who discussed U.S. plans to bomb Yemen in a Signal group chat that came to light after a journalist was mistakenly added to the chat earlier this month.
The controversy, which some in the media have dubbed “Signalgate,” has plagued the White House this week, with Trump administration officials scrambling to explain why such classified information was being shared so haphazardly on a messaging app. The leaked messages from that group chat show officials ordering and celebrating the bombing of civilians in Yemen, which is a war crime.
Several Democratic lawmakers — including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (New York) — have called for President Donald Trump to fire the officials involved, or for them to resign from their posts. On Thursday, Axios reported that Omar was planning to draft articles of impeachment against Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, all of whom participated in the chat.
“Pete Hegseth is an embarrassment to Minnesota,” Omar wrote on Bluesky on Wednesday. “His incompetence and blatantly illegal actions demonstrate he is grossly unfit to lead the Department of Defense.”
It’s currently unclear what specific articles Omar plans to charge the trio with; the charges need not be based on criminal statutes, although those can be included as well. Presidents and executive branch officials can be impeached for “high crimes and misdemeanors,” a centuries-old term that does not refer to literal crimes but rather abuses or negligence in office.
Omar’s charging document will likely detail how Trump administration officials discussed the details of a highly sensitive military operation on an app — and how that app does not save a long-term record of their conversations, which is likely a violation of the Federal Records Act and Administrative Procedure Act. Her articles of impeachment could also discuss how the U.S. airstrikes on Yemen were in violation of international laws relating to the killing of civilians; such laws prohibit targeting nonmilitary buildings, even if there is a military target inside.
“Rules of engagement that permit destroying an entire civilian apartment building to kill one alleged terrorist is part of Joe Biden’s legacy. It’s still a war crime though, and Waltz’s [and the group’s] text is a confession,” Matt Duss, executive vice president for the Center for International Policy (CIP), recently said on social media.
If Omar does complete the articles of impeachment, they will have little likelihood of being passed. However, she can force a vote on the matter using a privilege motion, which would mean that Republicans would have to publicly vote on whether the impeachment proceedings should commence.
Meanwhile, pressure is mounting on Trump to fire at least one official who was involved in the group chat. Some allies close to Trump are saying that individual should be Waltz, NBC News reports, as he was the one who mistakenly invited The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg into the chat.
Polling shows that most Americans are disturbed by the incident, with a new YouGov survey showing that 74 percent of Americans view the matter as serious, while only 13 percent say they aren’t concerned.
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Chris Walker
Chris Walker is a news writer at Truthout, and is based out of Madison, Wisconsin. Focusing on both national and local topics since the early 2000s, he has produced thousands of articles analyzing the issues of the day and their impact on the American people. He can be found on Twitter: @thatchriswalker
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