House Republicans Block Impeachment Vote for Pete Hegseth

House Republicans blocked an impeachment resolution targeting Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday, securing a 211-204 vote to send the articles to the Judiciary Committee rather than allowing a floor vote, detikNews reported.

The procedural maneuver on Nov. 10, 2026, halted a planned Wednesday vote that would have decided whether to formally charge Hegseth, according to detikNews. CNN Indonesia reported that Republican leaders and White House officials worked behind the scenes to secure the outcome, uniting a fractured party following its defeat in the Nov. 3 midterm elections.

Representative Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican who opposes Donald Trump, introduced eight articles of impeachment on Monday, Nov. 9, 2026, as reported by detikNews. Massie accused Hegseth of launching an unauthorized war against Iran, carrying out unlawful strikes in the Caribbean and Yemen, and detaining former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

The resolution also targeted Hegseth over the handling of Senator Mark Kelly and military personnel decisions. Antaranews.com said that Massie’s motion accused the defense chief of violating the U.S. Constitution and the War Powers Resolution.

Trump praises vote while Hegseth defends war record

President Donald Trump praised the vote on Truth Social, calling it the liberation of a great American patriot. Berdasarkan pemberitaan CNN Indonesia, Presiden AS Donald Trump langsung menyambut gembira kegagalan upaya dari Partai Republik tersebut sekaligus melontarkan ejekan kepada Thomas Massie selaku politisi Partai Republik yang mengajukan rancangan pemakzulan.

JUST IN: Thomas Massie's effort to impeach US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth fails, for now. US House of Representatives has blocked an effort to impeach Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. Lawmakers voted 211–204 to send the impeachment resolution back to committee, effectively…

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“This is a joke, a mere gimmick, and everyone knows it,” Pete Hegseth said during a press conference at the Pentagon on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026. Hegseth defended his war record and dismissed the charges as slander.

Antaranews.com reported that Hegseth warned the impeachment push endangered American military personnel. “This puts American soldiers in danger by sending a signal that Congress will weaken their mission while operations are underway,” Hegseth told reporters, according to Antaranews.com.

“Hal itu memberi tahu musuh-musuh kita, Iran, kartel, dan setiap pihak yang mengancam yang mengamati situasi ini, bahwa Amerika Serikat justru akan menghukum prajurit dan pejabat sipilnya sendiri karena berhasil menjalankan operasi militer yang sah,” Hegseth said, according to Antara News.

Vice President JD Vance also backed the defense secretary, stating that Hegseth clearly did not commit an impeachable offense, detikNews reported. Dalam pemungutan suara tersebut, seluruh 203 legislator dari Partai Demokrat kompak menolak mosi itu, serta didukung oleh Massie sebagai satu-satunya perwakilan Partai Republik yang turut memilih penolakan.

Questions about Pete Hegseth impeachment resolution

Who introduced the impeachment resolution against Pete Hegseth?

Representative Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, introduced the eight articles of impeachment on Monday, Nov. 9, 2026, after previously floating the measure.

What specific military actions were cited in the articles of impeachment?

The resolution alleged that Hegseth waged war against Iran without congressional authorization, conducted unlawful strikes against drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean, targeted operations in Yemen, and detained former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

How did the House vote to derail the impeachment process?

House members voted 211 to 204 on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026, to send the impeachment articles to the Judiciary Committee, effectively canceling a planned floor vote.

What was the margin of party support during the vote?

Seluruh 203 anggota DPR dari Partai Demokrat memberikan suara menolak mosi tersebut dan Massie menjadi satu-satunya anggota DPR dari Partai Republik yang memberikan suara menolak, sementara 210 suara mendukung plus satu suara yang diberikan oleh satu-satunya anggota independen di DPR AS.