The US House of Representatives has rejected an effort to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over his handling of military operations in Iran and other countries. The Republican-led chamber voted 211-204 on Tuesday to send the impeachment resolution to a committee. The move effectively ended the effort.
The vote came after weeks of political tension over US military actions in Iran, Yemen, Venezuela and the Caribbean. Some lawmakers have questioned the legal basis for these operations. However, most Republicans said the claims against Hegseth did not meet the legal standard for impeachment.
The resolution was introduced by Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky. He has often criticized Hegseth and President Donald Trump. Massie also faced strong opposition from both men during his Republican primary race earlier this year.
Massie filed the measure as a privileged resolution. This meant House leaders had to bring it to a vote within two legislative days. The move forced Republican leaders to address the impeachment effort rather than leave it without action.
Massie was the only Republican to join Democrats in voting to keep the resolution alive. He argued that Hegseth had violated the rules of war and put American troops at risk.
Massie said the defense secretary’s actions had harmed the country’s standing and could place US soldiers in danger during future conflicts. He also questioned whether the administration was following federal law and the Constitution.
He said impeachment was the proper way to hold Hegseth responsible for his actions. However, his argument failed to win enough support from lawmakers in his own party.
The vote took place after Hegseth spoke to reporters at the Pentagon on Tuesday morning. He called the impeachment effort a political show and dismissed it as a stunt.
Hegseth said the military operations listed in the resolution were lawful. He also argued that the impeachment effort insulted the American service members carrying out those missions.
The defense secretary compared the move to the two impeachment efforts against Trump during his first term. Democrats in the House impeached Trump over his phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and later over the January 6 attack on the US Capitol.
Hegseth said he was willing to face criticism if it meant standing with Trump. He also defended the results of the military campaigns named in the resolution.
Trump quickly showed his support for the defense secretary. In a post on Truth Social, he praised Hegseth’s response and attacked Massie. Trump described the Kentucky lawmaker as an angry former congressman who had lost his political fight.
After the House vote, Trump issued another statement. He called the result an exoneration of Hegseth and described him as a great American patriot. Trump also accused Democrats of using government institutions for political purposes.
Hegseth has remained a controversial figure since taking office. The former Fox News co-host faced a difficult Senate confirmation process in 2025. Since then, he has faced criticism from Democrats and some Republicans over his leadership and military decisions.
Several Republican lawmakers who have criticized Hegseth did not support the impeachment effort. Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska said he had serious disagreements with the defense secretary. However, he did not believe the resolution was the right way to address those concerns.
Bacon, a former Air Force officer, said he would have viewed the matter differently if it had focused on issues such as the removal of senior military officers or the use of money approved by Congress.
Rep. Darrell Issa of California also questioned Massie’s motives. He suggested the lawmaker’s recent primary defeat may have influenced his decision to introduce the resolution.
Issa said the effort would likely fail even if it passed the House. A Senate conviction in an impeachment trial requires support from at least two-thirds of senators, or 67 votes. He argued that there was not enough support to reach that number.
Massie’s resolution contained eight articles of impeachment. Several focused on the war in Iran. One accused Hegseth of continuing the conflict without a formal declaration of war, legal approval from Congress, an attack on the United States or an immediate threat.
Other articles accused him of keeping US forces involved after Congress called for their withdrawal. They also alleged that he continued military action beyond the 60-day limit set by the War Powers Resolution and failed to follow laws designed to protect civilians.
The resolution also raised claims about US operations against suspected drug traffickers in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean. Massie accused Hegseth of directing killings without trial, ordering further strikes against survivors and preventing US personnel from rescuing people from damaged vessels.
Other charges concerned Venezuela and Yemen. Massie accused Hegseth of supporting the removal of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to gain control of the country’s oil resources. He also accused the defense secretary of using the Pentagon to punish Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona after Kelly spoke about unlawful military orders.
Hegseth rejected the accusations and defended the military campaigns. He said US forces had weakened terrorist groups, destroyed boats carrying illegal drugs and captured a leader he described as a narco dictator.
The House decision means Hegseth will remain in his position for now. However, the dispute over military authority, congressional oversight and the legal limits of US military action is likely to continue.
