House effort to impeach Hegseth fails, largely along party lines

Washington | Nov. 10, 2026, 8:52 p.m. ET | 4 min read Americans’ frustration with the Iran war helped drive a historic Democratic victory in last week’s midterms. And as lawmakers began a lame-duck session, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has overseen a conflict that Congress did not authorize, was fighting to hold on to his job amid impeachment charges tied to that war and other military decisions.He has succeeded, at least for now.After a House vote Tuesday derailed the impeachment effort, President Donald Trump called Mr. Hegseth a “great American patriot” in a social media post and said Democrats “must be stopped.” An outgoing Republican House member, Thomas Massie of Kentucky, introduced eight articles of impeachment against Secretary Hegseth. This week, Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, widely expected to become House speaker after the new Congress begins in January, told ABC News he was a “hard yes” for impeachment. And on Monday, Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas said on a podcast that Mr. Hegseth faced two outcomes: Either he leaves by resignation or firing, or it is “extremely likely” he will be impeached.But late on Monday, President Trump defended Mr. Hegseth, using social media to call on lawmakers to “stand up for Pete!!!”House Republicans did so, thwarting the impeachment effort as a 211-204 vote sent Mr. Massie’s articles to the Judiciary Committee. Eleven Democrats were absent for the procedural vote, and all Republicans except Mr. Massie supported the motion to refer. “I’d really like to understand why 11 Democrats don’t show up,” said Democratic Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut. “It’s a weird world when attendance is determining affairs of the state.”Democrats don’t appear to have a clear plan for what to do next. Rep. Mark Takano of California told the Monitor he hopes to see another attempt before this Congress ends Jan. 3. If not, he said he expects a bipartisan impeachment vote next year.Mr. Himes, who is slated to chair the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, took a more cautious approach, suggesting that Democrats should focus on oversight going forward and calling Mr. Massie’s move “not careful.”Mr. Jeffries declined to tell reporters whether Democrats would pursue impeachment after assuming the majority in January, saying they would have that conversation “at the appropriate time” with input from relevant committee leaders.Republicans, for their part, appear to be taking the vote as confirmation that Mr. Hegseth’s position is secure. “I think it’s time to move on,” said Republican Rep. Burgess Owens of Utah. “He’s got a president who believes in him. ... We’re very proud of what he’s doing.”Mr. Massie told reporters after the vote that he was “not surprised, but disappointed.” He suggested that if Democrats tried to impeach Mr. Hegseth on different charges, such as for firings or withholding Ukraine aid, they might be able to gain Republican support. But he also said Republicans did not learn from the midterm results.“They all know they lost the election over this war, and they’re still voting for it,” he said.Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw of Texas criticized Mr. Massie for inflating what he called a policy dispute.“It’s for show,” he said. Mr. Massie’s articles accused Mr. Hegseth of violating both federal law and the Constitution. The charges include directing U.S. troops into war with Iran without congressional authorization; overseeing deadly strikes against suspected drug-smuggling boats; and leading an “act of war against a sovereign country” in the operation to remove Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife from the country.Mr. Hegseth defended himself Tuesday morning in a rare news conference, calling the impeachment charges a “farce” put forward by a “disgruntled and defeated congressman.” He defended his and the president’s decisions in Iran and other areas, and said Mr. Massie’s accusations should be dealt with through legislation, not impeachment.“This is not patriotism,” said Mr. Hegseth. “This is sabotage.”Had the House measure passed on Tuesday, it would have set up a trial in the Senate, where a two-thirds majority would have been required to remove Mr. Hegseth.Mr. Hegseth’s support in the Senate, where Republicans hold a six-seat majority until Democrats take control, did not appear to be rock solid. A handful of Republican senators, including North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis and Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, had indicated they might be open to voting to convict Mr. Hegseth. Deepen your worldviewwith Monitor Highlights.Politics with respectGet political stories with respectful analysis.There‘s a world of new ideas in everyBooks newsletter.There‘s more to life, enrich yours withCulture & Learning weekly.Follow humanity‘s discoveries withScience & Nature stories in your inbox.Gain a spiritual perspectivefrom the stories in your inbox.Want to understand the deeper impact of critical events? Learn the Monitor‘s insight.Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads. Lawmakers on the right have criticized Mr. Hegseth for keeping Congress in the dark on military decisions and for what some see as unprofessional conduct and messaging.Since the Iran war started, members of Congress have grilled Mr. Hegseth about the cost of the war (most recently estimated at $47.1 billion), whether the Pentagon’s estimates fall short of the war’s true cost, and the White House’s request for $67.1 billion more in funding, mostly for the war. ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER? LoginReal news can be honest, hopeful, credible, constructive.The Christian Science Monitor was founded in 1908 to lift the standard of journalism and uplift humanity. We aim to “speak the truth in love.” Our goal is not to tell you what to think, but to give you the essential knowledge and understanding to come to your own intelligent conclusions. Join us in this mission by subscribing.