Democrat who missed Hegseth impeachment vote caught outside Capitol ‘with minutes to spare’

A Democrat late to the vote to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was allegedly spotted outside the Capitol with “minutes to spare.”​Representative Jonathan Jackson of Illinois was one of 11 Democrats to miss the Tuesday vote, which resulted in a 211-204 decision to refer eight articles of impeachment to the Judiciary Committee, delaying any future impeachment effort.Jackson and several other Democrats have said that a traffic incident stopped them from arriving in time for the vote. ​“The vote last night was at 6:05 p.m. I saw you on the steps last night about 10 minutes before that,” TMZ reporter Charlie Cotton told Jackson in footage recorded on the Capitol steps on Wednesday. ​“You claimed there was a traffic jam that prevented you from reaching the vote and voting, but I had seen you having arrived on the steps with minutes to spare,” Cotton said. “So, I’m sorry to put you in a tricky position, but I’m wondering why didn’t you vote? You were here!”Representative Jonathan Jackson was confronted by a TMZ journalist after he failed to arrive in time for a vote over articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (TMZ)​Jackson responded by citing the traffic incident, which he had previously said on X involved a “police-escorted bus.”​The representative said in his statement that he has entered a “NO” vote on the Congressional Record and labeled the vote to refer eight articles of impeachment to the Judiciary Committee as “a move designed to stall accountability without a direct vote on the merits.”​“It’s not a tricky position,” Jackson told Cotton. “I shared with you that I missed the vote. There was a traffic jam that was there. It’s inexcusable.​“It’s not making an excuse for it. We should have been able to make the vote.”​Cotton responded: “But you kind of did make the vote.”​Jackson went on to cite his previous record on Hegseth, noting that he became the first member of Congress to call for the defense secretary’s resignation in March 2025. That call came amid accusations that Hegseth had discussed military strike plans against targets in Yemen on a Signal chat that included the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic.Republican Congressman Thomas Massie introduced the articles of impeachment and voted against referring them to the judiciary committee (Getty)​“Which is why I’m so confused,” Cotton said. Jackson went on to explain that the area surrounding the Capitol can become “very chaotic.”​“I’m with you, but I’m just saying it was a mistake, and I wish I could answer you in any more detail, but I support the removal of Pete Hegseth,” he said.​Several other prominent Democratic representatives also missed the vote, including Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi.​Several representatives cited traffic delays, including Colorado’s Brittany Pettersen, New Mexico’s Melanie Stansbury, California’s Julia Brownley and New York’s Laura Gillen. Michigan’s Haley Stevens and Florida’s Frederica Wilson did not arrive in time, while Washington’s Marilyn Strickland told POLITICO that she missed the vote by one minute.​Nevada’s Steven Horsford claimed a “personal emergency” delayed his arrival, and California’s Lou Correa announced his absence in advance, citing a medical procedure.​Every Democrat present, as well as outgoing Republican Thomas Massie, voted against referring the articles of impeachment to the Judiciary Committee. ​Massie introduced the articles of impeachment, accusing Hegseth of launching unauthorized military operations in Iran and Yemen, as well as the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.