House vote 211 to 204 ends Hegseth impeachment attempt

The House of Representatives voted 211 to 204 on Tuesday to end an effort to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The measure sought to send a resolution to a committee, a procedural step required to advance the case. The narrow defeat kept the Secretary in his position for now.

The resolution was introduced by Representative Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky. Massie is a vocal critic of Hegseth and President Donald Trump. Both men played roles in Massie's loss in the Republican primary earlier this year. Because Massie filed the motion as privileged, House leadership had to schedule the vote within two legislative days.

Massie accused Hegseth of violating the laws of war. He argued that these actions harmed the country's honor and endangered soldiers in future conflicts. The Kentucky representative was the only Republican to support moving forward with the vote. He stated that impeaching Hegseth was the best way to ensure the administration respects the Constitution.

The resolution contained eight articles of impeachment. The first accused Hegseth of fighting a war against Iran without a declaration of war or legal authorization. Other articles cited his continuation of the conflict after Congress ordered a withdrawal. The document also alleged that he ordered extrajudicial executions of suspected drug traffickers in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific.

Additional articles claimed Hegseth illegally captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to control oil reserves. They also alleged he used the Department of Defense to retaliate against Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona. One section addressed an alleged illegal war in Yemen.

Hegseth defended his record at a Pentagon press conference before the vote. He called the impeachment attempt a political spectacle and a farce. The Secretary stated that all military operations mentioned in the resolution were legal. He compared the vote to the two impeachments of President Trump during his first term.

"If supporting President Trump puts me in that company, I will accept being in it any day of the week," Hegseth said. He added that the operations destroyed terrorist regimes and sank boats carrying poison to American communities. He described the capture of a drug lord dictator as well-done work rather than a crime.

President Trump posted a message on Truth Social shortly after the press conference. He praised Hegseth with a grade of "A PLUS, PLUS, PLUS." Trump described Massie as a disgruntled, defeated, and total loser. The President maintained his full support for the Secretary of Defense.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a Democrat from New York, said his party will remove Hegseth from Washington when they take control of Congress next year. Jeffries is expected to become the next Speaker of the House in January.

Representative Darrell Issa, a Democrat from California who is leaving Congress, suggested Massie was motivated by his primary loss. Issa noted that even if the House had approved the resolution, it would likely fail in the Senate. He stated that the Senate often protects against hasty decisions from the House.

Representative Don Bacon, a Republican from Nebraska, said he disagreed with how Massie pushed the resolution. Bacon, a retired Air Force veteran, said he would view the case differently if it included the firing of 80 generals. The vote concluded a busy day in Washington following the morning press conference.