Democrats face backlash after missing Hegseth impeachment vote

Republicans in the US House of Representatives blocked an attempt to impeach Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Tuesday, sparking a flurry of criticism online, as 11 Democrats failed to attend the vote. The chamber voted 211 to 204 to refer the charges to the House Judiciary Committee, where they could remain indefinitely for the duration of this Congress’s term, essentially killing the resolution for now. The articles were spearheaded by Republican Thomas Massie and backed heavily by Democrats, accusing Hegseth of carrying out unlawful orders and waging unconstitutional wars in Iran and Venezuela. Notably, there were 18 representatives missing during the votes - seven Republicans and 11 Democrats. The Democrats missing included California's Nancy Pelosi; Michigan’s Haley Stevens; New York’s Laura Gillen; California’s Lou Correa; New Mexico’s Melanie Stansbury; and several others. Several party members and others heavily criticised the absentee Democrats online, who in response blamed traffic, Representative Mike Johnson closing the vote early, and having conflicting events. Read more: Democrats face backlash after missing Hegseth impeachment vote Secretary of War Pete Hegseth speaks during a press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, on 10 November 2026 (Roberto Schmidt/AFP)