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THE US House of Representatives has blocked an attempt to impeach Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth over his handling of the war in Iran and other military operations, with Republicans largely closing ranks behind him following strong support from President Donald Trump.
The House voted 211-204 on Tuesday to send the impeachment resolution back to committee, effectively halting the effort led by Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky and backed by Democrats.
AP reported today that the vote came as Republicans grapple with the fallout from sweeping midterm election losses, which some party members have blamed on the Iran war and a resulting surge in fuel prices.
Trump had publicly defended Hegseth ahead of the vote, prompting most Republican lawmakers to oppose the impeachment effort.
The resolution contained eight articles of impeachment, accusing Hegseth of knowingly implementing unlawful military orders and mishandling US military operations in Iran, Yemen and Venezuela.
Massie, who is leaving Congress in January after losing his primary to a Trump-backed challenger, argued that Hegseth had violated the law by continuing military operations in Iran without congressional authorisation.
"The Iran war has been underway for 256 days. Congress has not authorised it. Hegseth is breaking the law," he said in a social media post.
Other allegations included cuts to Pentagon resources intended to reduce civilian casualties, which preceded a US missile strike on an Iranian primary school that reportedly killed up to 168 people.
The resolution also cited Hegseth's efforts to punish Democratic Senator Mark Kelly, a retired Navy pilot, over a video urging military personnel to refuse unlawful orders, as well as US strikes on suspected drug-smuggling vessels in Latin America.
Hegseth rejected the allegations at a Pentagon news conference on Tuesday, his first in six months, describing the impeachment effort as politically motivated and an attack on the US military.
"This is not patriotism. This is sabotage," he said.
He argued that the allegations amounted to policy disagreements rather than impeachable offences, insisting that the military operations were lawful.
The defence secretary also accused Massie of undermining American forces while they were engaged in military operations.
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, who is expected to become speaker when Democrats take control of the chamber in January, backed the impeachment effort, accusing Hegseth of abusing his power and undermining US national security.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer also supported the move.
House Speaker Mike Johnson dismissed the resolution as a political gambit, while some Republicans who had criticised Hegseth said they did not believe his actions amounted to impeachable offences.
Nebraska Republican Representative Don Bacon said he remained critical of the defence secretary but questioned the merits of impeachment, arguing that Congress should instead hold hearings into his performance.
Trump later celebrated the House vote, describing Hegseth as a "Great American Patriot" and giving him an "A" rating for his response to the impeachment effort.
Vice-President JD Vance also dismissed the move as a political spectacle that distracted from policymaking.
The failed effort comes as Democrats prepare to take control of both the House and Senate in January, potentially paving the way for renewed scrutiny of Hegseth.
No sitting Cabinet secretary had previously been impeached before the House impeached former Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in 2024. The Senate subsequently dismissed the charges without holding a full trial.
Meanwhile, the Iran conflict has continued to affect regional security and global energy markets, with Tehran retaining the ability to strike US military bases in the Middle East and disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. - November 11, 2026
