House Republicans on Tuesday blocked an effort to impeach Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, voting 211-204 to send a resolution introduced by outgoing Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) to committee, effectively halting the proceedings for the remainder of the current Congress.
The narrow procedural vote spared Hegseth an immediate confrontation over eight articles of impeachment related to American military operations in Iran and other countries. The effort could be revived in the next Congress, when Democrats are expected to control both the House and Senate with substantial majorities.
Every Democrat voted against referring the resolution to committee, while Massie was the only Republican to join them. Rep. Kevin Kiley (I-CA), who left the Republican Party earlier this year and lost his reelection bid last week, sided with Republicans.
President Donald Trump welcomed the outcome in a lengthy post on Truth Social, portraying the vote as a vindication of Hegseth's leadership.
"The Democrats’ attempt to impeach Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has miserably FAILED! Every single Republican, except Thomas Massie, a major LOSER, voted in favor of Pete. Again, Victories in Venezuela and Iran, the Best Recruitment Numbers in the History of the Military (Long waiting lists to get in!), and Spirit like rarely seen before, led to the EXONERATION of a Great American Patriot. The Democrats continue to weaponize and abuse the United States of America. They must be stopped! MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN."
Massie, an outspoken opponent of the American military campaign against Iran, had reintroduced the impeachment articles on Monday despite losing his Republican primary earlier this year.
The Kentucky lawmaker was defeated by former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein, who received the backing of Trump and Hegseth. The Pentagon chief personally traveled to Kentucky to campaign for Gallrein, who subsequently won election to Congress last week.
Massie's impeachment resolution accused Hegseth of violating constitutional and federal legal restrictions during military operations in Iran, Yemen, the Caribbean and the Eastern Pacific, as well as the American operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro earlier this year.
Three of the eight articles specifically concerned the Iran war. Massie argued that the administration had conducted the campaign without congressional authorization and that Hegseth had disregarded a congressional vote calling for an end to the conflict.
Another article alleged that Hegseth ordered the removal of Pentagon safeguards designed to distinguish civilian targets from legitimate military objectives, contributing to civilian deaths.
A fifth article accused the defense secretary of acting as an “executioner" by directing military strikes against suspected drug-trafficking vessels in waters near South America. According to the figures cited, at least 244 individuals described as “narco-terrorists" have been killed in the operations.
Massie also accused Hegseth of retaliating against Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) for telling American service members that they could refuse unlawful orders.
The allegations concerned disciplinary proceedings initiated against Kelly that could potentially result in a reduction of his military rank. Massie argued that the measures violated protections for free speech.
Before Tuesday's vote, Massie had indicated that he would seek separate votes on each impeachment article if the House rejected the motion to refer the resolution to committee.
Hegseth forcefully rejected the accusations during a Pentagon press conference Tuesday morning, his first in more than six months.
He characterized Massie as “one disgruntled and defeated congressman" pursuing “a personal manifesto driven by ego and resentment."
Hegseth further accused the Kentucky Republican of attempting to “do damage to this president, this country, and most irresponsibly, the warriors who defend it" during his final weeks in office.
“It’s a farce, and it’s a stunt, and everybody knows it. 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, and in our case, successful ones at that," Hegseth told reporters.
Trump, Vice President JD Vance and other senior administration officials also defended the Pentagon chief, dismissing the impeachment initiative as “absurd."
Speaking at the White House on Monday, Trump had already pledged to stand behind Hegseth if the House proceeded with impeachment.
“Yeah, I’ll stand by him," the President said.
Trump also criticized Massie personally, calling him “a stone cold loser" and accusing him of harboring resentment.
“Massie has a lot of hatred in his heart," Trump said.
“I don’t want to waste my time watching him. We won two wars, and we’ve made the world a lot safer place, and then we’re supposed to be impeached?"