GOP House rejects Hegseth impeachment effort
Representative Thomas Massie, the Kentucky Republican, said he would use his waning time in office to prod his party to vote for “sanity” and break with President Trump.
Key points
- Why it matters: The vote marks a victory for Hegseth, the Trump administration and Republican leaders, who were bracing for the prospect of a rebellion within their own ranks.
- Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), the measure's sponsor, the lone GOP "no" vote.
- House Republicans voted Tuesday evening to block an effort to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, shielding a top Trump administration official from a politically embarrassing rebuke.
Driving the news: Massie forced a procedural vote on his resolution to impeach Hegseth, alleging he has defied Congress and illegally continued the U.S.
The Trump administration has been vehemently defending Hegseth, including through a statement opposing the impeachment effort issued shortly before the vote.
Additional details
- What's next: Tuesday's vote effectively kills any effort to impeach Hegseth this Congress.
- The vote to refer the impeachment measure back to committee passed 211-204, with Rep.
- Between the lines: Republican leaders protected their members from having to go on record on the politically difficult issue before Election Day after Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) sent lawmakers home early to campaign.
- Axios' Marc Caputo and Alex Isenstadt previously reported that Hegseth is on " thin ice " with Trump officials.
- "Like so much of Congress, impeachment has become a ridiculous show that stands in for actual policymaking.
How this summary was made: extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting. It is drawn only from the reporting of the sources listed below — read the originals for full detail. How we summarize →
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