US House blocks effort to impeach Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth

The US House of Representatives on Tuesday blocked an effort to impeach Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth over his handling of the war in Iran, giving President Donald Trump a political victory days after Republicans suffered sweeping losses in the midterm elections.

The Republican-led House voted 211-204 to refer eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth to the House Judiciary Committee, effectively killing the immediate push led by Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Reuters reported.

Massie’s resolution accused Hegseth of ordering unlawful military operations in Iran and Yemen, directing strikes against suspected drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean and participating in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Hegseth dismissed the impeachment effort as a “farce” and a “political spectacle”, maintaining that the military operations were lawful.

President Trump welcomed the outcome, declaring on social media that the attempt to impeach Hegseth had “miserably FAILED!”

Massie was the only GOP holdout on the motion, voting against it. Eleven Democrats were not present.

The vote gives Hegseth a reprieve before Democrats assume power over both chambers of Congress in January. Democratic leaders have said they may bring up impeachment under the new Congress.