House Blocks Thomas Massie’s Bid To Impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth In 211-204 Vote

The U.S. House of Representatives voted Tuesday to halt an effort to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, approving a motion to send Republican Rep. Thomas Massie’s impeachment resolution to the House Judiciary Committee by a 211-204 vote.

The procedural decision effectively blocks the measure from advancing during the remainder of the Republican-controlled 119th Congress. Lawmakers did not vote directly on whether Hegseth should be impeached.

Massie was the only Republican to oppose referring the resolution to the committee. Democrats who participated in the vote opposed the motion, while one independent lawmaker supported it. Eighteen members did not vote.

The outcome followed growing criticism of Hegseth's handling of U.S. military operations, particularly the war involving Iran. Several Republicans had also attributed the party's sweeping midterm election losses to the conflict.

Hegseth Dismisses Thomas Massie's Impeachment Resolution As Political Spectacle

Speaking at a news conference at the Pentagon earlier Tuesday, Hegseth rejected the impeachment effort, describing it as a politically motivated attack rather than a legitimate exercise of congressional oversight.

He criticized Massie, who lost his Republican primary earlier this year to a challenger backed by President Donald Trump, for introducing the articles of impeachment.

"What one disgruntled and defeated congressman is attempting is not oversight, and it's not accountability. It's a political spectacle, a personal manifesto driven by ego and resentment," Hegseth said.

Massie introduced eight articles of impeachment against the defense secretary on the House floor Monday afternoon. The allegations include concerns over military operations conducted without congressional authorization, including the war with Iran and strikes against suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific.

Hegseth defended the military actions, maintaining that they were lawful operations conducted under Trump's direction.

He also argued that the impeachment resolution targeted the work of American military personnel rather than establishing grounds for removing him from office.

"No Defense secretary has ever been impeached for carrying out lawful military operations, and in our case, successful ones at that," Hegseth said.

The defense secretary characterized the dispute as a disagreement over administration policies and rejected the suggestion that the eight articles established high crimes, misdemeanors or treason.

Donald Trump Celebrates House Vote Blocking Hegseth Impeachment

Trump welcomed the House decision in a post on his social media platform, claiming that Democrats had failed to impeach Hegseth.

However, the resolution was introduced by Massie, a Republican, and Tuesday's vote concerned referring the measure to the Judiciary Committee rather than a direct vote on impeachment.

"The Democrats' attempt to impeach Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has miserably FAILED! Every single Republican, except Thomas Massie, a major LOSER, voted in favor of Pete," Trump wrote.

He also praised the administration's military operations, recruitment figures and the defense secretary's leadership.

"Again, Victories in Venezuela and Iran, the Best Recruitment Numbers in the History of the Military (Long waiting lists to get in!), and Spirit like rarely seen before, led to the EXONERATION of a Great American Patriot. The Democrats continue to weaponize and abuse the United States of America. They must be stopped!"

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Trump later gave Hegseth an "A plus, plus, plus for his defense against" Massie.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell also celebrated the outcome, describing the referral as a "TOTAL VICTORY" in a post on X accompanied by an image of Hegseth raising a clenched fist.

"The referral of these baseless impeachment articles to the House Judiciary Committee marks total victory for Secretary Hegseth, the Department of War, and the American warfighter," Parnell wrote.

"From the beginning, this effort has been a political exercise devoid of merit, evidence, or seriousness. It collapses under the weight of Secretary Hegseth's record of restoring the warrior ethos, delivering results, and putting the mission first."

Mike Johnson Opposes Impeachment As Trump Administration Defends Military Operations

House Speaker Mike Johnson had previously voiced opposition to Massie's impeachment resolution, expressing confidence that Republicans would prevent the measure from advancing.

"We'll dispense with the impeachment gambit," Johnson said Tuesday afternoon.

The dispute centers partly on the Trump administration's military operations, including the conflict with Iran and strikes against suspected drug-smuggling vessels. Massie argued in his impeachment articles that several operations were conducted without the congressional authorization required for military action.

Hegseth rejected those accusations, saying the military engagements were lawful actions ordered by Trump.

He also compared the impeachment effort with the two previous attempts to impeach Trump during his presidency, portraying the proceedings as another attempt by political opponents to target the administration.

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"You see, we've seen this show before," Hegseth said.

"Both times they failed" in impeaching Trump, he added.

"Both times he came back stronger, and the American people sent him back to the White House," Hegseth continued. "Now they're trying a third time. This time against a member of his Cabinet."

Trump had also defended Hegseth following the introduction of the impeachment articles on Monday, declaring during a press briefing that the defense secretary had "won the war in Iran."

"He certainly, I think, he's won the war in Iran, but he's certainly winning the war," Trump said. "Iran would love to make a deal. And they've been obliterated, their navy and their air force."

Hegseth had similarly declared victory during an April press conference.

Marco Rubio Backs Hegseth Over Iran And Other Military Operations

Secretary of State Marco Rubio also defended Hegseth while speaking to reporters in Paris shortly after the Pentagon news conference.

Rubio was questioned about the Defense Department's execution of Trump's military orders involving Iran, Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen, suspected drug-smuggling vessels and the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

He defended Hegseth's handling of the operations, saying the defense secretary had followed the president's instructions and carried them out effectively.

"Not only did Pete execute on a direct order from the commander-in-chief, who in our constitution is empowered and trusted with the job of keeping Americans safe, but they did it quite effectively in all those fronts," Rubio said.

Tuesday's 211-204 decision sends Massie's impeachment resolution to the House Judiciary Committee without a direct vote on the eight articles. The move effectively ends the current effort to impeach Hegseth during the remaining months of the 119th Congress.