Republicans Defeat Effort to Impeach Defense Secretary Hegseth
Republicans defeated an effort to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday, voting 211 to 204 to refer the resolution to a committee. Rep. Thomas Massie was the only Republican supporting his own impeachment measure. Massie's resolution accused Hegseth of illegally conducting President Donald Trump's war in Iran without congressional authorization, along with charges including abducting Venezuela's president and violating a senator's free speech rights. Many Republicans blamed the war for their midterm election losses. Hegseth dismissed Massie as "disgruntled" over Trump backing a primary challenger, while Sen. Chuck Schumer said Senate Republicans should hold a trial. The Iran war has dragged on since February, disrupting oil supplies and raising gas prices.