The impeachment push against United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth was blocked Tuesday evening as Republicans in the House of Representatives rallied around the Cabinet member.
The resolution vote was 211-204, sending it to the Committee on the Judiciary, which first received the impeachment articles authored by Rep. Thomas Massie, the outgoing Kentucky representative.
Republicans argued that Hegseth's actions did not amount to "high crimes and misdemeanors" as stated in Massie's articles denouncing the execution of "unlawful orders" in Iran, the Caribbean, Venezuela, and Yemen.
President Donald Trump has reiterated support for Hegseth, who called the impeachment effort a "political spectacle ... a farce and a stunt" during a news conference at the Pentagon.
"We will not apologize for putting Americans' lives first... stopping the flow of drugs that kill our citizens... destroying the capability of a regime that chants death to America. We remain locked and loaded," he declared.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell described the referral of the "baseless impeachment articles" to the House Judiciary Committee as "total victory" for Hegseth, the Department of War, and service members.
The official said the action was "a political exercise devoid of merit, evidence, or seriousness," and collapsed under the weight of the secretary's record of restoring the warrior ethos, delivering results, and putting the mission first.
Parnell slammed the "disgruntled soon-to-be former congressman and others who have chosen grandstanding over governing," saying the department looks forward to ending the impeachment at the committee level.
Rep. Maxine Dexter, D-OR, stated that Republicans may have buried the vote, but a new Congress will answer to the American people in January. "And Pete Hegseth will answer to it as well," she added.
"This is not the end of it; this is the beginning," said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-NY, who is poised to be elected speaker when the Democrats take over Congress in about eight weeks.
US House blocks Hegseth impeachment as battle shifts to January