An effort to remove Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth from office has been effectively put on hold — but it’s far from over. The House voted Tuesday to redirect impeachment articles against Hegseth to the House Judiciary Committee, a procedural move that pushes any final decision well into next year.
The vote was 211 to 204, with House Republicans successfully sidestepping a push by GOP Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky to advance the impeachment. Massie’s impeachment articles accused Pete Hegseth of a range of serious offenses, including mishandling counternarcotics operations, conducting extrajudicial killings in the Caribbean and Pacific, launching attacks against Iran in February without congressional approval, retaliating against a sitting senator, and attempting to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro without a declaration of war.
The articles themselves stated:
“Secretary of Defense Peter Hegseth, by such conduct, has demonstrated that he will remain a threat to the Constitution if allowed to remain in office, and has acted in a manner grossly incompatible with his duties and the rule of law.”
What Happens Next
By sending the articles to the Judiciary Committee, House Republicans have effectively delayed a full impeachment vote until January — when Democrats are expected to hold the majority in Congress. As of now, Democrats have won 256 House seats compared to Republicans’ 168, and hold at least 54 Senate seats to Republicans’ 44. If the House ultimately votes to impeach Hegseth, conviction would require a two-thirds majority in the Senate.
This would not be unprecedented territory. In 2024, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas was impeached by the House over border policy disputes, though the Senate dismissed the charges without a trial. Further back in history, Secretary of War William Belknap was impeached in 1876 on corruption charges shortly after his resignation, only to be acquitted by the Senate. If Hegseth were impeached, it would mark only the third time a cabinet member has faced that process.
Hegseth Fires Back
Hegseth did not stay quiet. In a rare news conference Tuesday morning ahead of the vote, he dismissed Massie as a
“disgruntled and defeated congressman”
trying to
“do damage to this president, this country, and most irresponsibly, the warriors who defend it.”
Drawing a pointed comparison to President Donald Trump’s own impeachment history, Hegseth noted that Trump was impeached twice but never convicted — and said he would
“take that company every day of the week.”
He went further in rejecting the charges outright:
“These resolutions are a farce. They mock the Constitution. They attack the chain of command, and they criminalize the warfighters who execute lawful orders.”
President Trump, for his part, voiced support for his defense secretary on Monday, saying Hegseth has
“done a very good job.”
Troops and Families Have Concerns
Even as the political fight plays out in Washington, there are signs of unease within the military itself. A survey released in October by the military-veterans advocacy non-profit Common Defense, conducted by Change Research, found that 54% of active-duty personnel surveyed disapproved of Hegseth, while 64% of military family members shared that view.
The survey, which included 731 active-duty troops, veterans, and military family members, also found that a majority believe decisions within the Department of Defense are being driven by political considerations rather than national security. Perhaps most striking: 53% of active-duty personnel said the increasing politicization of the military was making them want to leave the service sooner than they had planned. Nearly half of active-duty respondents also said they oppose Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. military operation against Iran.
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