The US House of Representatives has effectively killed the effort to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. On Thursday, November 10, 2026, the lower chamber of Congress voted 211 to 204 to refer the impeachment resolution to a committee for consideration. Because advancing such a resolution requires a majority vote and Republicans maintain a majority in the House, the voting result means the initiative has failed. Nevertheless, the mere fact that a procedure against the incumbent Pentagon chief appeared on the agenda marked one of the sharpest intra-party conflicts in the Republican camp in recent times.
A Vote That Solved Nothing
Formally, the House neither adopted the impeachment resolution nor rejected it outright—it simply was not forwarded to a committee, which in procedural terms equates to a failure. The 211 to 204 vote showed that a significant number of Republicans, even those who had publicly criticized Hegseth, considered his actions insufficient to qualify as 'high crimes and misdemeanors,' the constitutional threshold for impeachment. Thus, intra-party discontent failed to translate into an institutional mechanism of accountability.
Accusations from the Lone Republican
The procedure was initiated by Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, who, according to reports, became the only member of his party to support the impeachment vote. Massie accused Hegseth of violating the rules of war in Iran, as well as conducting illegal operations in Yemen, Venezuela, and the Caribbean. 'Someone finally has to draw the line and ask: Will we enforce current laws? Will we uphold the Constitution?' the congressman declared during a floor speech. Notably, in early 2026, reports indicated that Hegseth and Donald Trump helped Massie lose his intra-party primary, making his subsequent attack on the minister an even more prominent political gesture.
'Farce' and an Assessment from Trump
Hegseth himself called the impeachment attempt a 'farce' and a political show, emphasizing that all military operations he was accused of were legal. He drew a parallel to Donald Trump's two impeachments during his first term, specifically referencing the phone call episode with Volodymyr Zelenskyy. President Trump, in turn, publicly backed the minister on the Truth Social network, giving him an 'A plus plus plus' rating for defending against 'a bitter, angry, defeated former congressman.' According to reports, ahead of the midterm elections, Trump called his advisors to ask whether Hegseth should be kept in office, although he publicly stated he was not considering replacing him.
Democrats Prepare Their Next Move
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who is projected to become Speaker in January 2027 after Congress shifts to his party's control, has already promised that Democrats will 'run Hegseth out of town.' Thus, despite the failure of the current initiative, the question of the Defense Secretary's future remains open: a shift in the House majority could give Democrats a new, stronger tool of pressure. Massie, meanwhile, stated his intention to initiate the Pentagon chief's impeachment immediately after the midterms, signaling his readiness to continue the fight regardless of the current outcome.
The Signature Kyiv is Waiting For
Hegseth's decisions impact not only domestic US politics but also foreign obligations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy previously stated that Kyiv has been waiting for about a month for the Pentagon chief's signature to supply missiles for Patriot and NASAMS systems. This delay makes Hegseth a sensitive figure not only for Republicans and Democrats, but also for Washington's allies, who depend on prompt Pentagon decisions amid ongoing conflicts.
