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House Rejects Impeachment Articles Against Hegseth
· Confirmed
In Short: The House voted to refer the impeachment articles against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to the House Judiciary Committee, effectively killing the effort.
The House voted 211 to 204 to refer the impeachment articles against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to the House Judiciary Committee, effectively killing the effort.
Hegseth, who has faced criticism over his handling of the Iran war and other military actions, dismissed the impeachment effort as a political stunt, calling it a 'farce' and a 'stunt.'
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) launched the impeachment bid, accusing Hegseth of acting contrary to his trust as secretary of defense and mishandling the war in Iran.
Hegseth defended his record in a press conference, saying the strikes on purported drug boats had been necessary to protect the US against narcotraffickers and had saved 'thousands of American lives.'
Hegseth argued that impeachment is not a proper remedy for policy disagreements and that his critics should pursue legislation instead.
The vote provided a reprieve for Hegseth, who was facing an impeachment vote by the full House as early as Wednesday.
President Donald Trump celebrated the failed effort, calling Massie a 'major LOSER' and praising Hegseth's record on military operations in Venezuela and Iran.
Hegseth said he stood behind military operations in Iran, Venezuela, and Yemen, describing them as lawful.
The effort to impeach Hegseth was short of the 67 votes needed to convict and remove him in the Senate, where Democrats are expected to hold about 54 seats.
What this adds
The vote effectively ends the impeachment effort against Hegseth in the current Congress.
Hegseth's defense of his actions and his aggressive stance against the impeachment effort were key factors in the vote's outcome.
Background
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth dismissed the impeachment effort against him as a political stunt, calling it a farce and a stunt.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) acknowledged Friday that Republican lawmakers have 'a lot of questions' about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, as Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) prepares to push for his impeachment next week.
What's confirmed
- “What one disgruntled and defeated congressman is attempting is not oversight, and it’s not accountability. It’s a political spectacle, a personal manifesto driven by ego and resentment,” Hegseth said as he began his Tuesday morning press conference.
- Hegseth said he stood behind military operations in Iran, Venezuela and Yemen, describing them as lawful.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is slamming the impeachment effort against him.
- “It’s a farce and it’s a stunt and everybody knows it,” Hegseth said during a press conference at the Pentagon.
- "Didn't work against President Trump and it won't work with me," Hegseth said.
- Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Tuesday aggressively defended U.S. war efforts and attacked efforts to impeach him over the matter, calling it a "farse" and a "stunt."
- “In the 250 years of our American republic, no Secretary of War or Secretary of Defense has ever been impeached for carrying out lawful military operations,” Hegseth told reporters.
- House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said he is a “hard yes” on supporting efforts to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, which are expected to be brought to a vote this week.
- Hegseth dug in for a congressional fight in his first news conference in months on Tuesday, portraying Massie as a rogue lawmaker and arguing that he had committed none of the high crimes required in the Constitution for his removal.
- What are the impeachment articles facing Pete Hegseth?
- “I think it’s more likely to pass after the election than before the election,” Massie (R-Ky.) told The Post shortly before taking to the House floor to introduce eight articles of impeachment.
- House Republicans voted to reject efforts by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and the Democrats to impeach Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
What's still developing
- Hegseth compared military losses under his tenure with other historic conflicts, saying some 60,000 Americans were killed in the Vietnam War, and 37,000 in the Korean War, while only 18 had died during the US-Israel war against Iran.
- The House minority leader said Sunday on ABC's This Week that he's a "hard yes" on impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, accusing him of abusing his authority, mishandling the war in Iran, and driving up costs for Americans.
- House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries announced Sunday that he supports efforts to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, marking a significant development in the growing political pressure on President Donald Trump’s administration.
- In a fierce news conference early Wednesday, which began with a chilling warning to reporters that they stay “in line” or be thrown out, Hegseth railed against the outgoing Congressman as “disgruntled” and repeatedly defended his performance.
- WASHINGTON — Republicans are under the gun to pass defense funding during the lame duck session following a crippling loss in midterm elections, but first they’ll have to square off against emboldened Democrats seeking to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and curb the Iran war.
- Before Hegseth took the podium, a security agent warned journalists they could be physically removed if they failed to maintain decorum.
- With a key Republican Hegseth critic, Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), announcing Tuesday that he had decided against voting to impeach the secretary due to not supporting all eight articles, Massie said the same day that he would tentatively plan to introduce each article separately.
- Article 6: US lawmakers who said military can 'refuse illegal orders' Article 7: Capture of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro Article 8: Strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen in 2025 We just heard from Senator Chuck Schumer, who currently serves as Minority Leader in the upper chamber, who unsurprisingly said he'd back an impeachment of Hegseth.
- On Tuesday, Republicans blocked the House from holding a direct vote on the impeachment resolution, passing a procedural motion to refer the measure to committee in a 211 to 204 vote.
- Pelosi missed the vote to attend a Veterans Day event in San Francisco, a spokesperson for the congresswoman said, adding that she would have voted “no” on the motion to kill the impeachment effort if she were present.
- Republicans outside of Massie voted unanimously to shut down the effort, even as some have criticized Hegseth’s leadership of the Pentagon.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testifies about the Pentagon’s fiscal year 2027 budget request before the House Armed Services Committee in Washington, D.C., April 29, 2026.