Flanagan gives Hegseth an F and says he should be impeached
Peggy FlanaganLieutenant governor of Minnesota and Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, in an MPR News debate
Asked in an MPR News debate to assess Hegseth's performance, Flanagan gave him an F and said he should be impeached. She cited his suggestion that an execution be livestreamed.
“F. And frankly, he should be impeached. ... I have seen enough. And I think the people of Minnesota have seen enough from Pete Hegseth. He absolutely should be impeached.”
Original video
Where this statement fits
Should Pete Hegseth be impeached?
Members of the House have advanced multiple impeachment proposals involving Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Rep. Shri Thanedar introduced H.Res. 935 in December 2025, Rep. Yassamin Ansari introduced H.Res. 1177 in April 2026, and Rep. Thomas Massie announced in September that he would offer a privileged resolution. The proposals allege distinct conduct involving military operations, oversight, and the handling of sensitive information; the proposals themselves do not establish those allegations. Hegseth disputed the characterization that anyone was “texting war plans,” while Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson called the April effort a charade and, after Massie read his articles on September 15, defended Hegseth’s record without addressing the specific allegations. The dispute is whether the House should impeach Hegseth on the basis of the congressional proposals and available evidence.
Source and context
Original video
About this source
Full audio of the hourlong October 16, 2026 MPR News debate between Minnesota U.S. Senate nominees Peggy Flanagan (DFL) and Michele Tafoya (R), moderated by MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst. The moderator asked each candidate to assess Hegseth's performance, noting the impeachment resolution pending in Congress.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Moderator Brian Bakst noted the impeachment resolution pending before Congress and asked both candidates how they assess Hegseth's performance. Her opponent, Michele Tafoya, answered first and called his grade incomplete.
After the quotation
Between those remarks she criticized Hegseth for suggesting a livestreamed execution, saying no one had been executed that way since World War II. She then turned to the federal debt.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The question in this case is whether the House should impeach Hegseth. Flanagan says he should be impeached.
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More from this case
Read the full caseMejia says Democrats can pursue Hegseth's impeachment and affordability at once
“I think there are some concerns within the caucus, the broader Democratic caucus, that, you know, we can’t get dragged into impeachment proceedings and instead we should focus on affordability. But I think that it is, we can walk and chew gum,”Read statement
Tafoya calls Hegseth's grade incomplete
“We have an incomplete grade right now. ... One thing I'm happy to see is that the President of the United States canceled this online viewing of this death penalty case in Texas. I'm happy to see that. I think the grade is incomplete.”Read statement
Khanna says he will force a vote on Massie's impeachment resolution
“Hegseth is unfit. The day Congress is back, we will force a vote to pass @RepThomasMassie’s impeachment resolution and remove him.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Flanagan gives Hegseth an F and says he should be impeached". First published: 2026-10-20. Last updated: 2026-10-20. https://disputeindex.com/events/6273-asked-in-an-mpr-news-debate-to-assess