Hegseth Survives Impeachment Push After 211–204 House Vote
By SUSAN ESSEX
DEFENCE Secretary Pete Hegseth has secured a reprieve after the US House voted 211–204 to send an impeachment resolution against him to the Judiciary Committee, effectively stopping the immediate push for his removal.
The motion passed largely along party lines on Tuesday. Republicans delivered 210 votes in favour, while one independent also supported the referral. All 203 Democrats who voted opposed the motion, alongside Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, the resolution’s sponsor.
Massie had introduced eight articles of impeachment on Monday. The allegations included waging war against Iran without congressional approval, ordering what the resolution described as extrajudicial killings in attacks on suspected drug-trafficking vessels, targeting Democratic Senator Mark Kelly and conducting an unlawful military campaign in Yemen. The document also cited the seizure of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Trump celebrated the result shortly after the vote. He praised Hegseth and criticised Democrats for pursuing impeachment, while pointing to the administration’s military actions and recruitment figures as evidence of the defence secretary’s performance.
Hegseth had also rejected the accusations before the vote. Speaking at the Pentagon, he dismissed the resolution as a political stunt and argued that his decisions formed part of his official responsibilities.
The congressional decision followed a difficult midterm election for Trump’s Republican Party. Democrats won control of both the House and Senate in the November 3 elections, creating a new political challenge for the administration.
Vice President JD Vance subsequently blamed the Republican setback partly on the war with Iran. Trump, however, acknowledged the conflict’s influence on the election results while maintaining that the decision to attack Iran was justified.
Consequently, the impeachment controversy has become part of a wider debate over the administration’s military decisions and the limits of executive authority. Tuesday’s vote has halted the current effort, but questions about congressional oversight and accountability remain.
