US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth avoided impeachment on Monday, after the House of Representatives voted 211 to 204 to transfer eight articles of impeachment to the Judiciary Committee, effectively halting the process.
The eight-point impeachment resolution was introduced by Representative Thomas Massie. Massie argued that Hegseth violated laws and the Constitution regarding US military operations, pointing to actions in Iran, Yemen, and Venezuela.
We are not accusing him of being bad at his job,
Massie said during a Monday press conference. The point here is that he has broken laws and violated the Constitution.
Massie stood alone as the only Republican to vote against shelving the resolution. All other Republican lawmakers rallied behind the Defense Secretary following a strong public endorsement from President Donald Trump.
He has done a very good job,
Trump said of Hegseth on Monday.
BREAKING: US House Republicans derail effort to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, voting 211-204 to send the resolution to the Judiciary Committee and block a planned vote on formal charges. 🔴 LIVE updates: https://t.co/yr7Orhp1Xg pic.twitter.com/ZjSOS45vk8
The resolution accuses Hegseth of executing illegal military orders and failing to protect civilians adequately during the war against Iran. Hegseth dismissed the allegations on Tuesday, describing them as political sabotage.
This is sabotage,
Hegseth said. He characterized the impeachment effort as a political spectacle rather than genuine criminal conduct.
Under US legislative rules, passing an impeachment resolution requires a simple majority in the House of Representatives. The matter then moves to the Senate, where a two-thirds supermajority is necessary for a conviction and removal from office.
While the current effort was redirected, the House could vote on the impeachment proposal as early as this week. The Republican Party’s narrow majority in the chamber has left the final outcome uncertain, particularly as several party representatives have expressed criticism of the Defense Secretary in the wake of last week’s mid-term elections.
Prior to this action against Hegseth, only two sitting cabinet secretaries in American history had faced impeachment proceedings: William Belknap in 1876 and Alejandro Mayorkas in 2024.
Hegseth was scheduled to hold a rare Pentagon press conference on Tuesday. His last formal press briefing took place in May, two months after the conflict with Iran began.
| Official / Figure | Role / Action | Key Date |
|---|---|---|
| Pete Hegseth | US Defense Secretary (Facing impeachment resolution) | Monday–Tuesday |
| Thomas Massie | Republican Representative (Introduced 8-point resolution) | Monday |
| Donald Trump | US President (Expressed strong public support) | Monday |
| William Belknap | Cabinet Secretary impeached in historical precedent | 1876 |
House Republicans maintained a narrow majority heading into the vote, leaving the political fallout from the mid-term elections lingering over the chamber.
