The US House of Representatives on Tuesday rejected an attempt to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, voting 211-204 to refer the articles of impeachment to a congressional committee, effectively suspending further proceedings.
The vote followed intensive efforts by President Donald Trump’s administration to defend Hegseth, who also sought to rally political support during a news conference at the Pentagon.
Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky spearheaded the impeachment effort, citing concerns over Hegseth’s handling of the war against Iran. However, the motion failed to gain support from other Republican lawmakers. Although Hegseth survived the impeachment attempt, the vote highlighted divisions over his leadership, with some Republican lawmakers expressing reservations about his performance despite opposing impeachment.
Meanwhile, several Democratic lawmakers indicated their intention to revisit the impeachment issue following Republican losses in last week’s midterm elections. Reacting to the vote, President Trump described the impeachment attempt as a resounding failure, accusing Democrats of politicising government institutions and abusing their authority.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump defended Hegseth, pointing to what he described as military successes in Venezuela and Iran, record recruitment figures and strong morale among US service members. Trump hailed the outcome as the vindication of a “Great American Patriot,” praising Hegseth’s leadership of the US military.
Speaking at a Pentagon news conference earlier Tuesday, Hegseth strongly condemned the impeachment effort, declaring, “This is not patriotism. This is sabotage.”
He accused his critics of attempting to politicise the armed forces following US military operations against Iran.
