Defiant and combative Pete Hegseth survives impeachment attempt
The US Secretary of Defense was the target of eight articles of impeachment submitted by Republican Thomas Massie, including the war in Iran and extrajudicial executions in the Caribbean. The attempt offers a preview of the battle he faces with the incoming Democratic Congress.
The US House of Representatives blocked an attempt to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in a 211 to 204 vote. The resolution, sponsored by Republican Representative Thomas Massie, sought to refer eight articles of impeachment to the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee. Massie, the only Republican to vote against the motion, accused Hegseth of violating the Constitution by conducting an unauthorized war against Iran for more than 90 days and participating in extrajudicial executions in the Caribbean.
CBS News reported that Hegseth was accused of knowingly executing unlawful orders related to the Iran war.
Following the vote, President Donald Trump called Massie a "major loser" on Truth Social and characterized the failed impeachment as an "exoneration of a Great American Patriot." Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell described the result as a "total victory" on X, stating that the process was a "sham impeachment." Massie expressed disappointment in the outcome, comparing his fellow Republicans to passengers staying on the Titanic despite knowing it is a sinking ship.
The procedural defeat comes as Republicans maintain a narrow House majority until Democrats take control of both chambers of Congress next year. Malay Mail noted that the impeachment drive followed a midterm election defeat for the Republican party, driven in part by voter anger regarding fuel prices and the war in Iran. Eleven Democrats were absent for the vote.
Brief written by urgent.news from Le Monde English, The Vibes, Jerusalem Post, CBS News, Malay Mail — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
