The United States House of Representatives voted 211-204 on Tuesday evening to send eight articles of impeachment against Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to the House Judiciary Committee, stalling the most serious attempt yet to remove a member of President Donald Trump's Cabinet.

The vote came hours after Hegseth denounced the effort as "a farce" at his first Pentagon briefing in six months. By referring the articles to committee, the House avoided a direct vote on impeaching Hegseth himself, and the seven-vote margin showed a Republican majority closing ranks around its defence chief, with one exception: Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who filed the articles.

Key Points

• The House voted 211-204 on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, to refer eight articles of impeachment against Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to the Judiciary Committee.
• The referral, offered by Representative Darrell Issa of California, blocks an immediate floor vote on the articles accusing Hegseth of violating the War Powers Resolution in the Iran war.
• Hegseth called the effort "sabotage" and "a farce and it's a stunt" at his first Pentagon briefing in six months.
• President Donald Trump praised the outcome, saying every Republican except Massie voted in favour of Hegseth.
• Democrats take the House on January 3, 2027, and could revive the proceedings, but removing Hegseth would still need a two-thirds Senate vote.

What Happened

The referral motion was offered by Representative Darrell Issa, a California Republican, just after 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday. The recorded vote began at 5:35 p.m., and the tally settled at 211 in favour of referral to 204 against, a margin of just seven votes.

A vote for referral sent the articles to the Judiciary Committee rather than deciding them on the floor. Massie had filed his eight articles on Monday as a privileged resolution, which normally forces the House to act within two legislative days; the referral let the Republican majority dispose of it without voting on the charges. Democrats opposed referral, seeking a floor vote, while Republicans voted almost unanimously for it; Massie himself voted against referral, the only Republican to break ranks. The committee can now hold hearings, investigate, amend or reject the articles, or simply take no action. There is no deadline, and with the current Congress in its final weeks, inaction is the most likely outcome.

Background: The Eight Articles and the Iran War

Massie, a Kentucky Republican known for breaking with his party, filed the eight articles on Monday, November 9, accusing Hegseth of violating the War Powers Resolution in the Iran war, ordering unlawful strikes, causing civilian casualties, retaliating against Senator Mark Kelly and involvement in the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.

The charges land in the ninth month of the United States' war with Iran, which began on February 28, 2026. Vice President JD Vance said on November 2 that talks with Iran had made "progress", and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that the economic campaign against Tehran meant no major combat operations were needed "for the time being".

The Hegseth Impeachment Vote and What Referral Means

Referral is the standard way a House majority disposes of a privileged resolution it does not want to vote on directly: a motion to refer is itself an action, and once it passes, the articles are parked in committee, where the majority controls the timetable. For Hegseth, the effect is immediate relief: he remains defence secretary and faces no floor vote in this Congress. For Massie, the articles are alive in a technical sense, since they have not been voted down, but they are frozen, with no hearing scheduled and no path to the floor before the new Congress is sworn in.

Reactions and Quotes

Hours before the vote, Hegseth called the effort "sabotage", "a farce and it's a stunt" and "a political spectacle" at his Pentagon briefing, arguing the dispute was over policy, not a "high crime or misdemeanor", and comparing it to the two impeachments of President Trump. "They impeached President Trump over a perfect phone call," he said. "They impeached him again in his final week in office. Both times they failed... Now they're trying a third time, this time against a member of his cabinet. They will fail again."

President Trump hailed the result later on Tuesday in a social media post. "Every single Republican, except Thomas Massie, a major LOSER, voted in favor of Pete," he wrote, hailing the "EXONERATION of a Great American Patriot."

House Speaker Mike Johnson had also opposed the push, arguing against pursuing it "in the middle of hostilities abroad". House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries had given a "hard yes" when asked whether he supported impeaching Hegseth, and Democrats signalled the proceedings could be revived once their party controls the House from January 3, 2027.

Why It Matters

If Hegseth were ultimately impeached, he would become only the third Cabinet secretary in American history impeached by the House, after William Belknap, secretary of war, in 1876, and Alejandro Mayorkas, homeland security secretary, in 2024. The Senate failed to convict Belknap after his resignation and dismissed the Mayorkas articles without a trial; no Cabinet secretary has ever been removed by the Senate.

The fight is also a test of the War Powers Resolution, the 1973 law requiring the president to consult Congress before committing American forces to hostilities. Massie's articles argue the Iran war was waged without the authorisation Congress is supposed to give, a claim the administration rejects. That argument will shape the debate over the war in the new Congress.

What Happens Next

In the short term, nothing: the articles sit with the Judiciary Committee, which is under no obligation to act, and the current Congress has only weeks left. Hegseth remains defence secretary, and the Pentagon's focus returns to the war in Iran and the talks aimed at ending it.

The picture changes on January 3, 2027, when Democrats take control of the House. A new Judiciary Committee, chaired by a Democrat, could take up the articles, hold hearings, call witnesses and move them to the floor. Even then, conviction in the Senate would require a two-thirds vote, 67 senators if all 100 vote, a threshold needing substantial Republican support.

Frequently Asked Questions

What did the House vote on Tuesday?
The House voted 211-204 to refer eight articles of impeachment against Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to the Judiciary Committee, not on the articles themselves.

Who filed the articles against Hegseth?
Representative Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, filed them on Monday, November 9, as a privileged resolution.

What is Hegseth accused of?
Violating the War Powers Resolution in the Iran war, ordering unlawful strikes, causing civilian casualties, retaliating against Senator Mark Kelly and involvement in the capture of Nicolas Maduro.

Is Hegseth still defence secretary?
Yes. The House did not vote to impeach him, and he remains in office.

Could the impeachment effort return?
Yes. Democrats take control of the House on January 3, 2027, and could revive them, though removing Hegseth would still require a two-thirds Senate vote.

Read more: Hegseth calls impeachment push sabotage in first Pentagon briefing in six months; Trump weighs Pete Hegseth's future after midterms as DeSantis name surfaces.