House Republicans on Tuesday effectively killed a push by outgoing Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, voting 211-204 to refer the resolution to committee. The procedural maneuver ends, for now, any chance of a full House vote on the eight articles Massie introduced, which accuse Hegseth of unconstitutional conduct in military operations from Iran to the Caribbean.
Massie, a frequent critic of the U.S. war with Iran, had filed the articles late Monday, charging that Hegseth violated the Constitution and federal law by ordering strikes without congressional authorization, dismantling safeguards meant to protect civilians, and retaliating against Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) for encouraging troops to refuse illegal orders. The Kentucky Republican, who lost his primary earlier this year after Hegseth and President Trump backed his opponent, said the Pentagon chief had been "very effective at killing schoolchildren in Iran" and at "extrajudicial killings."
Tuesday's vote saw all Democrats support advancing the measure, with Massie the lone Republican joining them. Rep. Kevin Kiley (I-Calif.), who left the GOP and lost his reelection bid, voted with Republicans. The referral to committee means the impeachment effort will not reach the House floor before the new Congress convenes, when Democrats will hold majorities in both chambers.
Hegseth, in his first Pentagon press briefing in over six months, dismissed the impeachment push as a "farce" and a "stunt," calling Massie "one disgruntled and defeated congressman" pursuing "a personal manifesto driven by ego and resentment." He insisted that no secretary of Defense has ever been impeached for carrying out lawful military operations, and he touted his record: increased recruitment, strikes on drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, the killing of ISIS leader Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, and the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
President Trump and Vice President Vance rallied behind Hegseth, with Trump giving him an "A+" after the briefing. Several House Republicans, including Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, issued statements backing Hegseth and condemning the impeachment effort as "petty, personal and partisan politics." Calvert urged Congress to focus on appropriations rather than "wasting time on impeachment proceedings."
Massie, undeterred by his electoral defeat, reintroduced the articles on the House floor Monday. He had said he would request separate votes on each article if the referral motion failed. The articles include three related to the Iran war, which Massie argues was conducted without congressional authorization and in defiance of a congressional vote to end the conflict. A fourth alleges Hegseth's orders led to the dismantling of safeguards to distinguish civilian objects from military objectives, resulting in civilian deaths. A fifth accuses Hegseth of directing deadly boat strikes in South America that killed at least 244 "narco-terrorists."
Hegseth's press team also took to X to counter Democratic criticism, highlighting the military's achievements under his leadership. "We destroyed terror regimes' capabilities, we sank the boats carrying poison into our communities, we put a narco-dictator in handcuffs," Hegseth said. "These are not high crimes. This is the job, and it's a job well done."
The vote came as Hegseth faced rare public scrutiny amid broader GOP leadership fights. Some lawmakers have pointed to Vance's framing of the impeachment bid as about Pentagon reform, while Speaker Johnson slammed Massie's effort as "shameful". The defense secretary also brushed off Vance's critique of the Iran war, defending the campaign as legal and necessary.
Massie's impeachment push is unlikely to be revived in the next Congress, but it has highlighted the deep divisions within the GOP over military engagement and the limits of executive power. With Democrats set to take control of both chambers in January, the focus now shifts to how the new majority will handle oversight of the Pentagon and the Trump administration's national security policies.
