House vote of 211 kills bid to impeach Hegseth

The House of Representatives voted 211 to 204 on Tuesday to block an effort to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

The measure, introduced by Kentucky Republican Thomas Massie, would have referred eight articles of impeachment to the House Judiciary Committee. Instead, a majority voted to keep the resolution in the full chamber. Because Democrats are set to take control of both congressional chambers in January following the midterm elections, this procedural move effectively ends the current impeachment drive. Massie was the only Republican to vote against sending the measure to the committee. More than a dozen members, including 11 Democrats, were absent during the count.

Massie introduced the articles on Monday. They accused Hegseth of waging war in Iran for more than 90 days without congressional authorization. The documents also charged the secretary with overseeing extrajudicial killings during the US campaign against boats in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea. Massie argued that removing Hegseth now would allow the Senate to confirm a replacement while Republicans still held power. He noted that impeachment resolutions can survive the end of a congressional term, potentially giving Democrats a tool next year.

President Donald Trump celebrated the outcome on Truth Social, stating the effort had miserably failed. Trump claimed the vote exonerated a great American patriot amid victories in Venezuela and Iran. He also cited record recruitment numbers and high military spirit. Hegseth spoke at his first Pentagon news briefing in six months on Tuesday. He described the impeachment attempt as a farce and sabotage. The secretary argued that the resolution sent a signal to adversaries that the US would punish its own leadership for executing lawful operations. He said the move was not patriotism. Hegseth also stated that Massie was motivated by policy differences rather than the specific offenses outlined in the Constitution.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, had predicted the bid would fail earlier in the day. Massie, who lost his re-election bid earlier this year to a Trump-backed opponent, has criticized the Iran war since it began in February. He has also clashed with the administration over the release of Jeffrey Epstein files. Texas Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican, said he expects Hegseth to resign or be fired by Trump. Many lawmakers have questioned how long the secretary can remain in the administration.