In a key political development, the US House of Representatives has stopped an immediate effort to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Lawmakers voted to send the impeachment articles to a committee, which effectively ends the push for now. The move came after claims that Hegseth ordered strikes on Iran without proper approval from Congress.
The effort was started by Republican lawmaker Thomas Massie from Kentucky. He accused the defense secretary of misconduct and wanted a full vote on removal from office. However, the majority chose to refer the matter to the House Judiciary Committee, killing the chance of quick action before the current Congress ends.
Hegseth called the whole attempt a farce during his Pentagon briefing. He said it was nothing more than political sabotage aimed at undermining his work. The defense secretary pointed to strong military recruitment numbers and recent successes in operations abroad as proof of his effective leadership.
President Donald Trump celebrated the vote outcome on social media. He described the impeachment bid as a miserable failure and praised Hegseth as a great American patriot. Trump linked the result to positive foreign policy wins and high morale in the armed forces.
Only one Republican joined Democrats in supporting the original push, while others stayed with the party line. With Democrats gaining control of Congress in January, any future impeachment attempts may come from the opposition side instead. The decision shows how political calculations often shape such high-stakes moves in Washington.