WASHINGTON: US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth survived an impeachment effort on Tuesday after House Republicans blocked a congressional vote that could have advanced eight articles of impeachment against him.
The 211-204 procedural vote referred the impeachment articles to the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee, effectively preventing the measure from moving forward.
The effort was led by US Representative Thomas Massie, an outgoing Kentucky Republican who had sought support from lawmakers critical of Hegseth’s policies and the unpopular US war in Iran. No other Republicans joined Massie, while 11 Democrats were absent from the vote.
The result gives Hegseth a reprieve ahead of next year’s change in House control, when Democrats are expected to have greater scope to pursue investigations and potentially revive impeachment proceedings.
President Donald Trump welcomed the outcome, saying on social media that the impeachment effort had “miserably FAILED” and praising Hegseth as a “Great American Patriot.”
Hegseth had faced mounting criticism over his leadership of the Pentagon and his handling of US military operations abroad. He addressed the controversy hours before the vote during a rare Pentagon briefing, where he defended his record and rejected accusations that he had abused his authority.
Hegseth defends Iran war amid impeachment push
The impeachment effort comes as public anger over the US war with Iran has become a major political issue. The conflict has settled into an effective stalemate focused largely on securing the Strait of Hormuz, while voter dissatisfaction contributed to Democratic gains in last week’s midterm elections.
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries accused Hegseth of abusing his authority and described the Iran conflict as a costly and failed war.
Hegseth strongly defended the military campaign, praising Trump’s leadership and arguing that Iran’s military capabilities had been severely damaged.
“History will judge the Iran war quite differently than the conventional wisdom right now,” Hegseth said.
He also maintained that US military operations had been conducted lawfully, rejecting allegations contained in Massie’s impeachment articles. The accusations include the decision to launch the Iran war and a January US military operation aimed at removing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
Massie criticised Republicans after the vote, arguing that lawmakers had chosen to protect Hegseth despite concerns over the administration’s policies.
“They know it’s a sinking ship but committed to stay on board,” Massie said.
Hegseth would have become the first US defence secretary to be impeached. The last civilian leader of the US military to face impeachment was William Belknap, who was secretary of war in 1876.
Hegseth has adopted the title “secretary of war” as part of Trump’s broader effort to rebrand the US military. However, changing the official name of the Department of Defence requires congressional approval.