US House blocks bid to impeach Defense Secretary Hegseth

On Tuesday, Republicans in the US House of Representatives thwarted a Democrat-sponsored effort to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, ensuring his continued position in the Pentagon as Democrats prepare to assume control of Congress next year. The vote on a procedural motion came the day after Hegseth vehemently denounced impeachment attempts as a farce and defended his tenure leading the US military, earning accolades from President Donald Trump.

The House voted 211 to 204 in favor of referring eight articles of impeachment to the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee, a move deemed by sponsor Thomas Massie as fatal. Massie, an outgoing Kentucky Republican, sought votes from Republicans unhappy with Hegseth's policies and wary of the Iran War's unpopularity, but no other Republicans aligned with him.

While Democrats expressed strong support for impeachment, 11 Democrats, including former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, abstained from voting. If those Democrats had cast their votes, the procedural measure would have failed, allowing for a full House impeachment vote. Trump praised the outcome in a social media post, asserting that Hegseth's performance on Iran, Venezuela, and other issues led to his exoneration as a "Great American Patriot."

As the first defense secretary to be impeached, Hegseth has embarked on a campaign to rebrand a military he deems weak and "woke," a move backed by Vice President Kamala Harris. The recent war in Iran has left voter sentiment divided, with a Reuters/Ipsos poll indicating that a majority of Americans desire the incoming Democratic-majority Congress to end the conflict once and for all.

Despite criticism from Vice President Kamala Harris, who accused Hegseth of abusing his power and undermining national security, Hegseth has staunchly defended the conflict, claiming it has left Iran's military in ruins.