US House of Representatives Thwarts Attempt to Impeach Defense Secretary, Refers Articles to Special Committee

Washington, Nov 11 (KUNA) -- The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday thwarted an attempt to proceed with impeachment proceedings against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after voting 211-204 to refer the articles of impeachment to a specialized committee for review, effectively freezing the impeachment effort. The vote came after intensive lobbying by President Donald Trump’s administration to defend Secretary Hegseth, while the latter sought to rally political support during a press conference at the Pentagon earlier in the day, issuing a direct appeal to Trump and his allies in Congress.

Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky led the impeachment effort against the Defense Secretary, citing criticisms related to the management of the war on Iran and Hegseth’s leadership style at the Pentagon. However, the initiative failed to gain the support of any other Republican representative.

Although Hegseth successfully survived this attempt, the vote revealed a widening circle of discontent within the Republican Party over his performance. Several representatives who voted against his impeachment expressed dissatisfaction with his leadership, while some senators indicated their willingness to participate in a trial if proceedings reached that stage.

For their part, Democratic representatives announced their intention to reopen the case for Hegseth’s impeachment next year, taking advantage of their anticipated control of the House of Representatives. The minister’s future has come into question following the Republicans’ electoral losses in last week’s midterm elections, amid declining public support for the war on Iran.

For his part, U.S. President Donald Trump described the Democrats’ attempt to impeach the Defense Secretary as a “resounding failure,” accusing them of continuing to use state institutions as a weapon and misusing them. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump defended his defense secretary, asserting that he had succeeded in Venezuela and Iran, and noted that all Republican representatives except “the loser,” Thomas Massie, voted against Hegseth’s impeachment.

Earlier in the day, at a press conference at the Pentagon, Secretary Hegseth described the attempts to hold him accountable and impeach him in Congress as a “political farce,” arguing that they target the U.S. military establishment and seek to politicize the armed forces in the wake of U.S. military operations against Iran. Hegseth stated that the efforts to hold him accountable “are not based on high crimes and misdemeanors, treason, or bribery, but are driven by political disagreements.” (End) A.M.M. / H.S.S.