Pete Hegseth has been spared from impeachment — for now — after House Republicans blocked a procedural hurdle that would have led to a vote on accusations against the Pentagon chief.
Republican Congressman Thomas Massie of Kentucky filed articles of impeachment against Hegseth Monday, accusing him of unlawfully waging war in Iran and Yemen, capturing former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and striking suspected drug trafficking boats. Hegseth has vehemently denied the allegations.
The articles first had to pass a procedural vote, but with Republicans still in control of the House until the next Congress convenes in January, the measure failed to advance Tuesday.
The House voted 211-204 to send the articles to the Judiciary Committee, essentially killing the effort.
President Trump reacted to the news via Truth Social, saying, “The Democrats’ attempt to impeach Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has miserably FAILED! Every single Republican, except Thomas Massie, a major LOSER, voted in favor of Pete. Again, Victories in Venezuela and Iran, the Best Recruitment Numbers in the History of the Military (Long waiting lists to get in!), and Spirit like rarely seen before led to the EXONERATION of a Great American Patriot. The Democrats continue to weaponize and abuse the United States of America. They must be stopped!”
This isn’t the first time Massie, a vocal Trump critic, has tried to remove Hegseth from office. Massie introduced articles of impeachment against the defense secretary in September over the Iran war, but House Speaker Mike Johnson recessed the House early without a vote on the measure.
Ahead of Tuesday’s vote, Massie admitted that several of his colleagues didn’t support all eight articles of impeachment — but he remained determined to find another way to oust Hegseth.
“I’ve heard from several members they agree with some of the Articles of Impeachment but not all of them,” the Republican wrote on X Tuesday. “If the motion to kill my resolution by referring it to committee fails, and we proceed to the Articles themselves, I’ll request a vote on each of the Articles separately.”
Hegseth responded to Massie’s impeachment threat during a rare Pentagon press conference earlier Tuesday.
“Iran, the cartels, Maduro, Yemen — every one was a lawful operation ordered by the commander-in-chief, then ordered by myself, notified to Congress, and executed by American warriors who did their jobs,” he said.
Critics shredded him online for implying he was just following orders, with some comparing his comments to the Nazi leaders who were convicted of war crimes in the Nuremberg Trials.
During his own surprise press conference Monday with friend and UFC President Dana White, Trump called Massie a “stone-cold loser” and said he’d stand by Hegseth even if he were impeached.
Democrats won control of the next Congress during a massive Republican defeat in last week’s midterm elections, meaning they could have the power to impeach Hegseth.
But Massie won’t be around the Capitol to see it after losing his primary earlier this year to a Trump-backed opponent who later won the general election.
