US-Verteidigungsminister: Amtsenthebung Hegseths im US-Repräsentantenhaus gestoppt

The Republican majority in the US House of Representatives initially halted a bid to impeach Defense Minister Pete Hegseth, falling short of the necessary 211 to 204 votes in the first vote. The Republican incumbent Thomas Massie, a former colleague, failed to secure the majority with his motion. The issue was formally transferred to a committee, before it could be voted on in the House of Representatives.

The Republican president, Donald Trump, maintains the majority in the chamber. Newly elected lawmakers, who will join Congress in January, will gain a majority in both chambers then. They might repeat scrutiny of Hegseth's conduct in the future. President Trump expressed delight after the vote, describing it as "a blatant failure!" on his Truth Social platform, and praising Hegseth.

Hegseth's predecessor, Republican Massie, had previously accused Hegseth of ordering military operations in Iran's conflicts despite the absence of congressional authorization. He also accused Hegseth of disregarding legislation aimed at minimizing civilian casualties. Moreover, Massie accused Hegseth of committing extrajudicial killings in actions against suspected drug smugglers' vessels.

Critics consider these actions unlawful. The Pentagon chief himself denied the allegations at a press conference before the vote, stating he would not apologize for US military operations in countries that "scare the US to death." He called the situation a "farce and a show" that everyone could see.