House Republicans blocked a Democratic push to impeach Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday, preventing the resolution from reaching the Judiciary Committee for a formal vote that had been planned for Wednesday.
The procedural motion fell short with 211 votes in favour and 204 against. The defeat handed President Trump a significant victory just days after his party suffered substantial losses in the midterm elections.
Kentucky Republican Thomas Massie, known as a Trump critic, stood apart from his party by voting against the procedural move. He was the sole Republican to do so, according to US media.
At a Pentagon press conference on Tuesday, Hegseth rejected the impeachment effort, calling it a "farce" and "a stunt, and everybody knows it". He defended the military operations he has overseen, stating: "I stand behind every one of these operations. I was proud to execute them, and I would do it again tomorrow." He also characterised the charges as "slander" and "sabotage".
The operations in question involved Yemen, Iran and actions against alleged drug smugglers. Hegseth framed the impeachment attempt as an assault on US troops.
Trump reinforced his backing for Hegseth through posts on TRUTH Social, calling him a "Great American Patriot" who had been vindicated. In a later message, Trump wrote that Hegseth receives an "A PLUS, PLUS, PLUS".
Republicans currently command a House majority, but that advantage expires in January when Democrats are set to assume control of both chambers of Congress. Political analysts have linked the Republican midterm setback to public frustration over the Iran war, surging fuel costs and affordability pressures.
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