Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Avoids Impeachment as House Votes Down Effort

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth narrowly avoided impeachment after a vote in the Republican-led House ended with a resolution against him being defeated. This attempt by a GOP lawmaker was dismissed, yet it’s likely that Democrats, who will control both the House and Senate after recent victories, could resume the effort in January.

The House voted 211-204 against the resolution presented by Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky. It included eight articles of impeachment. These accused Hegseth of violating the War Powers Resolution of 1973 due to a lack of congressional oversight concerning the Iran conflict. Massie described this as “unlawful from its inception.” The resolution also accused Hegseth of ignoring laws designed to minimize civilian casualties and alleged the “kidnapping of a sovereign foreign leader,” referencing the capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

“The impeachment effort is a political spectacle—a farce that mocks the Constitution,” Hegseth stated during a Pentagon press conference. He defended operations in Iran, Yemen, and Venezuela as lawful, ordered by the Commander in Chief, and properly notified to Congress.

Even if the House had passed the measure, it would need a two-thirds majority in the Senate, which Republicans currently control with 53 seats. This power balance will shift in favor of Democrats next year.

President Donald Trump supports Hegseth and vowed to defend him. Nevertheless, scrutiny remains. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries advocates for impeachment, and he might become the new House Speaker, potentially influencing future resolutions.

While impeachment has no direct legal consequences, a conviction in the Senate can bar one from future federal office. Thomas Berry from the Cato Institute explains: “An impeachment vote is like an indictment, showing the House believes there’s evidence of high crime or misdemeanor warranting a trial.”

The House initiated impeachment over 60 times, but only 22 cases led to formal impeachment. President Trump was impeached twice, accused of abusing power and obstructing Congress, and inciting insurrection. The Senate acquitted him each time.

If Hegseth faces impeachment, he’d be the third Cabinet member in history to face this. The first was Secretary of War William Belknap in the 19th century. Belknap faced accusations of bribery and corruption related to military trading posts, leading to his impeachment.

Impeachment was debated heavily then, concerning whether the Senate could try Belknap post-resignation. Ultimately, he was acquitted.

Comparatively, recent impeachment proceedings saw Alejandro Mayorkas, in 2024, impeached over immigration law enforcement issues. This drew controversy regarding the limits of impeachment for policy disagreements. The Democrat-majority Senate later dismissed the impeachment articles as unconstitutional.

The Biden Administration labeled Mayorkas’s impeachment as baseless. Discontent existed even among some Republicans, who argued the matter was more about policy disagreement than impeachable offenses.

Ultimately, Mayorkas continued as DHS head until the next Administration transition.