Pete Hegseth: Attempt to impeach Trump's defence secretary blocked

An attempt to impeach US defence secretary Pete Hegseth has been blocked following a vote in the House of Representatives on Tuesday. 

Outgoing Republican congressman Thomas Massie had brought eight articles of impeachment against Mr Hegseth on Monday - accusing him of "high crimes and misdemeanours" relating to matters including the Iran war and US military actions in Venezuela and Yemen.

However, the vote in the Republican-led House was 211-204 to send the resolution to committee, effectively ending the move to impeach the defence secretary for now.

Another attempt to impeach Mr Hegseth could take place after January, when the Democrats assume control of both chambers of Congress following the results of last week's midterm elections.

Mr Hegseth condemned the impeachment effort, describing it as "a political spectacle, a personal manifesto driven by ego and resentment".

It follows growing uncertainty in recent days over Mr Hegseth's future as defence secretary following the midterms, with the unpopularity of the conflict in the Middle East among voters seen as key reason for the Republicans' defeat.

However, Donald Trump has repeatedly backed the former Fox News presenter, writing on Truth Social after the vote in the House that the impeachment effort had "miserably FAILED".

The US president called Mr Massie "a major LOSER" and said Mr Hegseth had presided over "the best recruitment numbers in the history of the military", which have left "long waiting lists to get in".

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Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell described the vote as a "TOTAL VICTORY" - calling the impeachment articles "baseless" and "a political exercise devoid of merit, evidence, or seriousness".

Meanwhile, Democrat Hakeem Jeffries, who is set to become speaker of the House next year, said ahead of the vote that Mr Hegseth had "abused his power, undermined America's national ​security" and was the "architect of the reckless and costly failed war of choice in Iran".

Mr Hegseth has defended the conflict, insisting his orders to US forces were lawful and that "history will judge the Iran war ​quite differently than the conventional wisdom right now".

Eleven Democrats were absent from the vote on Tuesday, with the impeachment effort failing by seven votes.

Mr Massie, the only Republican to vote in favour of the impeachment effort, said he was disappointed by the result, and hit out at his fellow party members, saying: "They know it's a sinking ship but committed to stay on board."

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