On Tuesday, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) criticized his colleagues for continuing to follow President Donald Trump’s lead after the House voted to stall an impeachment effort against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
House Republicans Stall Pete Hegseth Impeachment
The Republican-led House voted 211-204 on Tuesday to refer eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth to the House Judiciary Committee, effectively shelving the effort for now, Reuters reported.
Massie, an outgoing Kentucky Republican who sponsored the impeachment effort, was the only Republican to oppose the motion. Eleven Democrats missed the vote.
The articles accused Hegseth of serious misconduct, including allegations related to the Iran war and U.S. military operations.
Massie had hoped to win support from Republicans concerned about the administration’s military policies and growing public dissatisfaction with the war.
Following the vote, Massie said Republicans had failed to distance themselves from Trump despite their recent midterm election losses.
“What I found out tonight is they still haven’t broken from the spell of Donald Trump. He still controls this Congress,” he told reporters.
Calling the outcome a mistake, Massie said Republicans were aware of the political risks surrounding the Iran war but continued to support the administration.
“They know it’s a sinking ship but committed to staying on board,” he said.
Trump Celebrates Hegseth Impeachment Setback
Trump celebrated the outcome on Truth Social, declaring that the Democrats’ attempt to impeach Hegseth had “miserably FAILED!”
He singled out Massie and praised Hegseth, citing military operations in Venezuela and Iran, recruitment numbers and morale among service members.
Trump described the defense secretary as a “Great American Patriot” and accused Democrats of weaponizing the government.
Earlier Tuesday, Hegseth dismissed the impeachment effort as a “farce” and defended the administration’s military actions, insisting his orders to U.S. forces were lawful.
“History will judge the Iran war quite differently than the conventional wisdom right now,” he said.
Democrats Defend Impeachment Push
Rep. Jonathan Jackson (D-Ill.) said a traffic incident and a police-escorted bus delayed his arrival, preventing him from voting against the motion.
He later entered his opposition into the Congressional Record.
Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.) also backed investigating Hegseth and Pentagon leadership, accusing them of issuing illegal military orders that endangered service members and resulted in 23 deaths.
With Democrats preparing to take control of the House next year, the impeachment effort could potentially resurface.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo Courtesy: Philip Yabut on Shutterstock.com
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