House Republicans blocked an impeachment effort against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, with 211-204 votes to refer eight articles of impeachment to a committee. The vote followed a failed attempt to remove Hegseth over his role in the Iran war, with 11 Democrats missing the key procedural vote.
Democrats criticized absent colleagues for not voting on the impeachment resolution, which failed by seven votes. Some lawmakers blamed traffic and early closure of the vote, while others accused Republicans of allowing the effort to fail. Trump praised Hegseth, calling him a 'fantastic job' performer despite the failed impeachment attempt.
The vote highlights ongoing tensions between Democrats and Republicans over Hegseth's conduct and the Iran war. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries called the impeachment effort a 'check and balance' on an 'out-of-control executive branch,' while Hegseth defended his actions, accusing the impeachment resolution of being a 'sabotage' against U.S. forces.