Ocasio-Cortez Says 'All Options' Are on the Table When Asked About Impeaching Trump

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is keeping the door open to another impeachment of President Donald Trump after Democrats won control of the House.

The New York Democrat made the comments Tuesday on CNN's "OutFront" in an interview with congressional correspondent Manu Raju, who asked how far Democrats should go and whether they should try to impeach Trump himself.

"I mean, I think we should leave all options on the table," Ocasio-Cortez replied. She followed with "Absolutely" and returned to the same point at the end of her answer. "But I think all options are on the table," she said.

The exchange began with a question about whether impeaching Secretary of War Pete Hegseth should be a priority in January. "Well, hopefully we don't even have to wait for the new Congress," Ocasio-Cortez said.

READ MORE: Jeffries Says He's a 'Hard Yes' on Impeaching Hegseth as Massie Readies Vote

Eyes on Hegseth

She pointed to Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie as someone who could bring the measure back. "I think that should we have the appropriate numbers, Massie could bring it again, or anyone else," she said.

Massie's resolution lists eight articles of impeachment, including an allegation that Hegseth violated the War Powers Resolution of 1973. As a privileged resolution, it can force House leaders to act within two legislative days, even if they oppose it.

Massie had told ABC News he planned to reintroduce the privileged resolution, potentially before the incoming Congress convenes.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Sunday he was a "hard yes" on impeaching Hegseth and predicted "incredibly strong support" among Democrats. Speaker Mike Johnson, meanwhile, dismissed Massie's effort as "a political gambit for attention." The House has since blocked the resolution in a 211-204 vote.

Trump has stood by Hegseth, saying he had "done a fantastic job" and that he had every intention of keeping him. In an online video, Hegseth accused Massie and Democrats of using the same tactics Democrats had used against Trump, called the effort "the politics of personal destruction" and predicted it would fail.

Prosecutions and the Supreme Court

Raju also asked whether other Cabinet officials could face scrutiny under a Democratic majority. Ocasio-Cortez argued that criminal prosecution should be pursued where evidence shows officials committed crimes, applying the same rule of law that applies to ordinary citizens.

READ MORE: Speaker Johnson Rips Massie's Push to Impeach Hegseth as a 'Political Gambit'

She also took aim at the Supreme Court, accusing the justices of having "kind of legalized a lot of this criminality." She said Republicans point to the Court, while the Court points to impeachment as the path to accountability.

Her answer left open what action Democrats might take against Trump and when.

Trump's Two Impeachments

House Democrats first impeached Trump in December 2019 on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress over his dealings with Ukraine. The Senate acquitted him on both articles in 2020.

The House impeached him again in January 2021 on a charge of incitement of insurrection after the Capitol riot. The Senate again acquitted him after the vote to convict fell short of the required two-thirds majority.

The House can approve articles of impeachment by a simple majority before sending the case to the Senate, where conviction requires a two-thirds vote.