US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has avoided an immediate impeachment battle after the House of Representatives blocked an effort to bring formal charges against him over his handling of military operations.
The proposal, introduced by Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, accused Hegseth of misconduct in several areas, including the US military campaign against Iran and other controversial operations carried out under President Donald Trump.
In Tuesday's vote, 211 lawmakers supported sending the impeachment resolution to the House Judiciary Committee, while 204 voted against the move. The decision effectively stopped the proposal from advancing to a full impeachment vote.
Massie was the only Republican to oppose the motion, joining Democrats who voted against referring the resolution to the committee.
Why lawmakers wanted Hegseth impeached
Massie's resolution contained eight articles of impeachment, outlining allegations that Hegseth had abused his position and exceeded his authority as head of the Pentagon.
A major focus was the US military campaign against Iran, which began in February 2026. Massie questioned whether the administration had properly involved Congress before launching military operations.
The resolution also raised concerns about US strikes against suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, the operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and alleged retaliation against Democratic Senator Mark Kelly.
Massie argued that the defence secretary should be held accountable for decisions that, in his view, crossed legal and constitutional boundaries.
However, these remain allegations rather than findings established by a court.
Hegseth calls the move political
Hegseth did not hide his frustration with the impeachment effort. Before the vote, he dismissed it as a political exercise and defended the decisions made by the Pentagon under his leadership.
He maintained that the military operations were justified and said he stood by the actions taken by US forces.
Trump also came to his defence, criticising Massie and welcoming the House decision. Vice-President JD Vance similarly rejected the arguments behind the impeachment proposal.
The outcome gives Hegseth some breathing room, although it does not resolve the wider questions raised about the administration's military decisions.
Democrats could reopen the issue
The political pressure may return in the coming months. Democrats are preparing to take control of Congress in January following their gains in the November midterm elections.
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries has indicated that the party intends to examine the Pentagon's conduct and the administration's approach to military operations.
It remains uncertain whether Democrats will make another attempt to impeach Hegseth or focus on congressional investigations and oversight.
Under the US Constitution, the House can impeach a federal official by a simple majority. Removal from office, however, requires a two-thirds majority in the Senate following a trial.
The latest vote was therefore not a determination that Hegseth had done nothing wrong. It was a decision to prevent the current impeachment proposal from moving forward.
For now, the defence secretary remains in office with the support of Trump and congressional Republicans. But with Democrats preparing to increase scrutiny of the Pentagon, the controversy surrounding his leadership is far from over.
