House Republicans Block Impeachment Bid Against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth

Nov 11, 6:17 AM2 min readCovered by 7 outlets

Drafted by AI from the sources below, published by the Ajako Taja Editorial Team · How we use AI

AI Summary

U.S. House Republicans successfully blocked an effort to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday, referring the charges to committee just months before a change in congressional control.

Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives voted on Tuesday to derail an impeachment resolution against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth concerning his handling of the war in Iran.

The House voted 211 to 204 to refer the impeachment articles to the Judiciary Committee, a procedural move that effectively kills the effort according to BBC News and Deutsche Welle. Representative Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican and vocal critic of President Donald Trump, introduced the resolution but was the only member of his party to vote against the referral. The BBC reported that more than a dozen members, including 11 Democrats, were absent for the vote.

The impeachment articles included eight allegations against Hegseth, such as waging war without congressional authorization and abuse of power. According to Euronews, the charges also involved military strikes against drug-smuggling boats in the Pacific and Caribbean, which Massie characterized as "extrajudicial killings," and the 2025 conflict with Houthi rebels in Yemen. Additionally, Massie accused Hegseth of attempting to punish Democratic Senator Mark Kelly for a video advising military personnel.

Hegseth dismissed the proceedings as a "farce," "stunt," and "sabotage" during a Pentagon press conference. He defended the military operations conducted under the Trump administration, while Vice President JD Vance stated that the secretary had not committed any impeachable offenses. President Trump praised the vote on TRUTH Social, calling Hegseth a "Great American Patriot" and claiming the impeachment attempt had "miserably FAILED."

Despite the victory for the administration, Massie compared his Republican colleagues to passengers on the Titanic, suggesting the party's current control is a "sinking ship." While the referral likely ends this specific initiative, Deutsche Welle and BBC News noted that Hegseth may face renewed impeachment efforts once Democrats take control of both the House and Senate in January.

Background

The impeachment push followed a midterm election defeat for the Republican party. Critics have cited public discontent over the ongoing war in Iran, rising gas prices, and the cost of living as factors in the political shift that will see Democrats take control of Congress in the new year.