Hegseth Survived the Impeachment Attempt: Accused of Waging War in Iran Without Approval, and Congress Sent the Case to Committee

The attempt to impeach US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth ended where most awkward questions in politics end - in committee. The majority in the House of Representatives decided to refer the motion to the Judiciary Committee, where Republicans hold the majority. The margin was narrow, 211 to 204, and more than ten members, including 11 Democrats, didn't vote at all.

The initiative was launched by Thomas Massie, a Republican who has long been openly at odds with his own president. In the eight-count indictment, formally filed on Monday, he argues that Hegseth "is breaking the law and must answer for it", because he has been waging war in Iran for more than 90 days without congressional approval. Hegseth is also accused of overseeing "extrajudicial killings" in the US operation against boats suspected of carrying drugs in the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. In the vote, Massie was the only Republican to oppose the referral to committee.

Hegseth responded at his first press briefing at the Pentagon in a full six months - and didn't mince words. He called the attempt a "farce" and "sabotage", and Massie a "disgruntled and defeated" opponent of the administration. According to the secretary, the resolution sends America's enemies the message that the US will punish its own troops and civilian leadership for "successfully carrying out lawful military operations". "That's not patriotism. That's sabotage," he said. He added that Massie was motivated by political disagreements, not the "high crimes and misdemeanours, treason or bribery" for which the US founders intended impeachment.

Trump celebrated the outcome on Truth Social, writing that the attempt had "FAILED miserably". "Victories in Venezuela and Iran, the best military recruitment in history (long waiting lists!) and morale rarely seen led to the EXONERATION of a great American patriot," the president wrote. The charge was that the war is being waged without Congress's permission. The answer was a list of victories. Did anyone actually answer the question that was asked?

After the vote, Massie said he was "not surprised" but "disappointed". "My diagnosis of Congress is that these people know what needs to be done. They just can't bring themselves to do it, even when it would help them politically," he said. He admitted the attempt might not succeed right away, but believed it could push Trump to replace Hegseth before the Democrats launch their own proceedings - so the Senate would have time to confirm a replacement while Republicans still hold the majority.

This isn't the first time Massie has been targeted by the White House. Earlier this year he lost his primary to a Trump-backed candidate, and he drew the president's anger back when he demanded the administration release the files on the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Hegseth survived politically this time, but some Republicans are asking how much longer he will last. Texas Senator Ted Cruz said he expects the secretary either to resign or to be replaced by Trump. And impeachment resolutions can carry over into the next Congress, which means Democrats can reopen the case when they take control of both chambers in January. The Balkans know this scene by heart: when the majority decides whether its own will answer, accountability doesn't disappear - it just waits for the majority to change.