House Republicans Defeat Impeachment of Sec. Pete Hegseth 211-204
- House Republicans defeated an impeachment resolution against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in a 211-204 vote.
- The eight articles of impeachment accused Hegseth of unauthorized military operations and constitutional violations.
- Hegseth and President Trump dismissed the impeachment push as politically motivated and an attack on military success.
The United States House of Representatives voted 211-204 on Tuesday to defeat a resolution to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. House Republican leaders blocked the impeachment push, which Representative Thomas Massie initiated.
Lawmakers conducted the vote on a near party-line basis. This result is a win for the embattled defense secretary.
Articles of impeachment cite unauthorized military operations
The resolution introduced by Massie contained eight articles of impeachment that accused Hegseth of violating the Constitution, abusing the powers of his office, and conducting unauthorized military operations.
Other articles accused Hegseth of overseeing unlawful strikes against boats and failing to protect civilians.
The articles intended to demonstrate a pattern of misconduct beyond the war in Iran. They questioned the broad view of executive power held by the administration and its use of military force without congressional authorization.
Hegseth and Trump dismiss allegations as politically motivated
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth rejected the impeachment allegations as politically motivated on Nov. 10. He dismissed the effort as the work of a "disgruntled and defeated congressman" and stated he has no intention of resigning. Hegseth and his allies characterize the allegations as an assault on effective military operations.
Hegseth stated on Nov. 9 that the impeachment push regarding the Iran war, the capture of Maduro, and strikes against suspected drug traffickers was "taking issue with the troops and what they accomplished".
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell stated the department acted lawfully.
President Trump stated he would stand by Hegseth if the House impeached him. In a social-media post, Trump urged lawmakers to "stand up for Pete!!!". Trump defended Hegseth on Nov. 8 by saying he was "guilty of two things, basically winning two wars".
Democrats weigh future impeachment efforts for cabinet members
Democrats retain the option to bring the resolution back to the floor when the new Congress convenes on Jan. 3, 2027. Certain senior Democrats told TIME that impeaching the defense secretary is a more achievable method for Congress to contest the administration's war management than impeaching the president.
Rep. Adam Smith of Washington, the expected chair of the House Armed Services Committee, said some Republicans might support an impeachment of Hegseth even if they oppose impeaching Donald Trump. Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the incoming chair of the Judiciary Committee, said that impeaching cabinet members like Hegseth or Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. involves different political factors than impeaching the president.
Democrats have not ruled out the possibility of seeking the impeachment of other cabinet members, including Kennedy.
Historical context of the impeachment attempt
Rep. Thomas Massie led the impeachment effort against Hegseth.
The only previous instances involved William Belknap in 1876 and Alejandro Mayorkas in 2024.
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