US Republicans in the House of Representatives have blocked an attempt to impeach Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth over his handling of the war with Iran, giving President Donald Trump a political boost just days after his party suffered a major defeat in the midterm elections.
The House voted 211 to 204 on Tuesday to refer the impeachment resolution to the Judiciary Committee. The decision effectively stopped a planned vote on Wednesday that would have determined whether formal charges should be brought against the Pentagon chief.
The resolution was introduced by Republican lawmaker Thomas Massie, a vocal critic of Trump. He was reportedly the only Republican to oppose the procedural move that sent the proposal to committee. Eleven Democratic lawmakers were also absent during the vote.
The impeachment effort had threatened to create further problems for Trump following the Democrats’ strong performance in last week’s midterm elections. Public frustration over the prolonged Iran war and rising fuel prices reportedly played a major role in the Republicans’ historic electoral setback.
Republicans will retain their narrow majority in the House until January, when Democrats are expected to take control of both chambers of Congress.
Trump welcomed the decision, describing it as an “EXONERATION of a Great American Patriot” in a post on his Truth Social platform.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell also celebrated the outcome, calling it a “TOTAL VICTORY!” in a post on X. He said the administration was confident that the allegations would not stand up to scrutiny in the Judiciary Committee, adding that the impeachment effort was a distraction that should be put to rest.
Hegseth had earlier dismissed the attempt to remove him from office, describing it as a political stunt. Speaking at a Pentagon press conference on Tuesday, he defended his leadership during the Iran war and other military operations carried out under Trump’s administration.
He described the impeachment effort as a “farce” and accused its supporters of making false allegations and attempting to undermine his work.
Trump quickly expressed his support for the defence secretary after the televised appearance, giving him an “A” PLUS, PLUS, PLUS in a Truth Social post.
Vice President JD Vance also defended Hegseth, saying the secretary had clearly not committed any offences that would justify impeachment.
Massie Accuses Hegseth of Abusing His Powers
Massie’s impeachment resolution contained eight articles outlining allegations against Hegseth. Among them were claims that the defence secretary had illegally conducted military operations without congressional approval and abused the powers of his office.
Several of the allegations focused on the eight month war with Iran. Massie accused Hegseth of violating the War Powers Resolution, a law that places limits on the president’s ability to involve American forces in military action without congressional authorisation.
Other accusations concerned the 2025 conflict involving Yemen’s Iran backed Houthi rebels and US military strikes against suspected drug smuggling boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. Massie described the attacks on the vessels as extrajudicial killings.
The Republican lawmaker also accused Hegseth of attempting to restrict free speech by seeking punishment for Democratic Senator Mark Kelly. The senator had appeared in a video urging military and intelligence personnel to refuse orders they considered illegal.
Hegseth rejected the accusations and defended the military operations conducted in Iran, Yemen and Venezuela, as well as the strikes targeting
