House rejects impeachment of Defense Secretary Hegseth

The Republican-led House on Tuesday narrowly rejected a push to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, voting 211-204 to send the resolution to committee and effectively killing the effort. The vote came after a dramatic day in Washington, with Hegseth defending his military actions in Iran, Yemen, and the Caribbean as lawful and dismissing the charges as a political spectacle.

Rep. Thomas Massie, the lone Republican to vote with Democrats, authored the resolution and argued that Hegseth violated war norms and endangered soldiers. The defense secretary countered by equating his standing with President Trump to the company of impeached presidents, while Trump publicly endorsed Hegseth on Truth Social, calling the vote an exoneration.

Massie’s resolution cited eight articles of impeachment, including charges related to the Iran war, extrajudicial killings in the Caribbean, and the seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Despite the narrow defeat in the House, outgoing Republicans like Darrell Issa suggested the measure would likely die in the Senate, where there are not enough votes to convict.

Read the full story at NBC News.