House Republicans Block Hegseth Impeachment; Democrats May Revive Effort in January

The House voted 211-204 on Tuesday to defeat a resolution to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, shielding him from immediate action but setting up a potential renewed effort when Democrats take control of Congress in January. The resolution, brought by Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, included eight articles accusing Hegseth of unauthorized military hostilities in Iran, Venezuela, and Yemen, along with constitutional violations and abuse of power. Democrats, who won both chambers in the midterm elections, could revive the effort on Jan. 3, where a simple House majority would suffice for impeachment. Hegseth dismissed the allegations as politically motivated and said he will not resign, with Trump vowing to stand by him. If impeached, Hegseth would be only the third Cabinet secretary in U.S. history to face that action, following William Belknap in 1876 and Alejandro Mayorkas in 2024.