House vote ends threat of impeachment for Secretary of War Hegseth
A 211-204 vote to bury Rep. Thomas Massie’s resolution in committee secured Hegseth’s position, though tensions remain over the Iran war and Caribbean strikes.
By Jenna Mitchell ·
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth survived a bid to impeach him after House Republican leaders maneuvered the measure into a committee where it is unlikely to advance. The vote to refer the resolution to the House Judiciary Committee passed 211-204 on Tuesday evening. This procedural step effectively killed the effort and prevented a floor vote scheduled for Wednesday.
The resolution, introduced by Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, accused Hegseth of misusing his office through eight articles of impeachment. The charges spanned the Iran war, U.S. military strikes on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean, and Hegseth’s public response to Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona. Kelly had posted a video urging troops to disobey what he called unlawful orders. Massie filed a privileged resolution, a procedural tool that forces the chamber to consider the text within two legislative days, overriding the majority’s preference to ignore it.
Hegseth responded to the effort during a Tuesday morning news conference. He called the move a political spectacle driven by ego and resentment rather than genuine accountability. The Secretary of War stated that one disgruntled and defeated congressman attempting this process is not oversight or accountability.
President Donald Trump celebrated the outcome on Truth Social. He labeled Massie a major loser and described the result as the exoneration of a great American patriot. Trump praised Hegseth’s record on military operations in Venezuela and Iran as well as his recruitment efforts.
Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana secured the vote as he prepares to leave leadership. The win came despite concerns among Republicans about low attendance following their midterm election performance last week. All Democrats present voted to keep the impeachment process alive. All Republicans, with the exception of Massie, voted to kill the resolution.
Several Republicans expressed hesitation about the measure even before the vote. Rep. Jake Ellzey of Texas told Fox News Digital he planned to vote no. He questioned the numerical strength of the Republican side if attendance remained low, calling the impeachment effort a ridiculous waste of time. He noted uncertainty over how many Republicans would be present at the time of the vote.
Other critics of Hegseth found fault with the specific charges. Rep. Warren Davidson of Ohio said the effort seemed designed to scapegoat the secretary for decisions made by the president. Davidson argued that holding the secretary accountable for presidential decisions would be unprecedented, even if the administration’s actions in Iran were themselves controversial. Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, a vocal critic of Hegseth, stated he did not agree with the specific text of Massie’s impeachment articles.
The resolution’s fate now rests with the House Judiciary Committee. Referral to the committee is a standard procedural step that often ends a bill’s or resolution’s life in the chamber. The vote concludes the immediate threat to Hegseth’s position, leaving the broader debates over the war and military operations to other legislative avenues.
