House Republicans Block Hegseth Impeachment, but Democrats Could Revive Effort in January

The Republican-led House on Tuesday narrowly rejected a push to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over unauthorized military hostilities in Iran, Venezuela and Yemen, shielding one of President Donald Trump's closest allies from an immediate reckoning but setting the stage for a renewed confrontation when Democrats take control of Congress in January.The House voted 211-204 to defeat a resolution brought by Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, a Republican who has repeatedly clashed with Trump, preventing lawmakers from considering eight articles of impeachment accusing Hegseth of violating the Constitution, conducting unauthorized military operations, and abusing the powers of his office.The vote offered a temporary reprieve for Hegseth, who has faced mounting criticism over the administration's conduct of the Iran war, and demonstrated Trump's continued hold over congressional Republicans despite the party's sweeping losses in last week's midterm elections. But it may have only delayed a political showdown over the defense secretary's future. Democrats, who won control of both chambers of Congress in the election, will have an opportunity to revive the impeachment effort when the new Congress convenes on Jan. 3, potentially making Hegseth the third Cabinet member in American history to be impeached.With a Democratic majority in the House, impeachment articles would stand a substantially greater chance of passage. Unlike a Senate conviction, which requires support of a two-thirds majority, impeachment in the House requires only a simple majority. Democrats could therefore approve articles without Republican support if enough of their members backed the effort.Such a vote would make Hegseth only the third Cabinet secretary in American history to be impeached, following William Belknap, President Ulysses S. Grant's secretary of war, in 1876, and Alejandro Mayorkas, President Joe Biden's homeland security secretary, in 2024. It would also raise the prospect of a Senate trial soon after Democrats take control of the chamber, forcing lawmakers in both parties to confront allegations of unlawful military conduct at a time when the Iran war has become a major political liability for the White House.The current impeachment effort was led by Massie, who lost his Republican primary this year to a candidate backed by Trump. Massie introduced the eight articles on Monday, arguing that Hegseth had repeatedly exceeded his legal authority in directing military operations and disregarded congressional restrictions on the use of force. “We’re not indicting him for being bad at his job,” Massie said Monday. “The argument here is that he’s broken laws and he’s violated the Constitution.”Hegseth has rejected the allegations as politically motivated and insisted that he has no intention of resigning. At a news conference Tuesday morning, he dismissed the impeachment effort as the work of a “disgruntled and defeated congressman.” His spokesman, Sean Parnell, said the Pentagon had acted lawfully and that Hegseth intended to remain in office through the end of Trump's term.Trump has stood firmly behind his defense secretary, even as the war has fueled public frustration and deepened divisions within his party. Asked whether he would continue supporting Hegseth if the House impeached him, the president replied, “Yeah I’ll stand by him.” In a social-media post Monday night, he urged lawmakers to defend Hegseth: “Congress, stand up for Pete!!!”While Tuesday's vote failed, the political circumstances surrounding the effort are poised to change dramatically. In the new year, Democrats will have the power to set the House's agenda, conduct investigations, and bring impeachment resolutions to the floor without relying on Republican defections to overcome procedural obstacles.The eight articles introduced by Massie encompassed some of the administration's most controversial military decisions, from the war in Iran to its operations in Venezuela and strikes against suspected drug traffickers in the Caribbean and Pacific.Three focused on Iran, accusing Hegseth of helping initiate the conflict without congressional authorization, continuing military operations despite congressional demands to end the war or obtain approval for it, and violating statutory deadlines for withdrawing American forces from unauthorized hostilities.The charges invoked the War Powers Resolution of 1973, which limits the president's ability to conduct prolonged military operations without congressional approval. The Trump administration has maintained that the president possesses the constitutional authority as commander in chief to direct the campaign, a position that has brought the White House into conflict with lawmakers who argue that Congress has been unlawfully sidelined.Other articles accuse Hegseth of overseeing unlawful strikes against boats suspected of carrying drugs, failing to adequately protect civilians during military operations and directing the January mission that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, which Massie argues constituted an act of war. Another challenges the administration's 2025 campaign against Houthi forces in Yemen, which drew scrutiny after senior officials discussed planned strikes in a Signal group chat that inadvertently included a journalist.A separate charge accuses Hegseth of retaliating against Sen. Mark Kelly, an Arizona Democrat and retired Navy captain, after Kelly participated in a video reminding service members that they were not obligated to follow illegal orders. Hegseth censured Kelly and initiated disciplinary proceedings that threatened his military rank and pension. A federal judge subsequently blocked the punishment, though the Justice Department has appealed.Together, the articles sought to establish a pattern of alleged misconduct extending beyond the Iran war, challenging the administration's expansive interpretation of executive authority and its willingness to use military force without congressional approval.Hegseth and his allies have portrayed the allegations as an attack on successful military operations. Speaking Monday, Hegseth suggested that seeking his removal over the Iran war, the strikes against suspected drug traffickers and the capture of Maduro amounted to “taking issue with the troops and what they accomplished.”Trump offered a similar defense Sunday, saying Hegseth was “guilty of two things, basically winning two wars.”While some of the party’s base are pushing for a Trump impeachment, several senior Democrats have told TIME that targeting the defense secretary would offer Congress a more attainable means of challenging the administration's conduct of the war. "There are Republicans who would support impeaching Hegseth who might not support doing it to Trump," says Rep. Adam Smith of Washington, who is in line to chair the House Armed Services Committee. Democrats have also not ruled out impeaching other members of Trump’s cabinet, including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “Impeachment of Pete Hegseth or Robert F. Kennedy Jr. or anyone in the cabinet presents a completely different set of political considerations than the president,” says Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, an impeachment manager in Trump’s first term who is in line to chair the Judiciary Committee.