Trump Celebrates Hegseth Impeachment Reprieve as Democrats Weigh Next Steps

Republican lawmakers voted Tuesday to send the impeachment resolution against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth back to committee, effectively shelving the effort and giving him a reprieve before Democrats take control of Congress in January. The vote postpones any action on the eight-count resolution filed by outgoing Republican Representative Thomas Massie, who accuses Hegseth of violating the law by waging war against Iran without congressional approval and of ignoring civilian protection rules. President Donald Trump celebrated the outcome, calling Hegseth a "great patriot" and declaring "TOTAL VICTORY!" on social media. Hegseth, who called the impeachment attempt a "political charade," defended his record on Iran as "courageous and historic." Democrats could revive the impeachment effort after the new Congress convenes, with additional controversies including the "Signalgate" leak and his proposal to broadcast a military execution.