House GOP leaders block Massie's Hegseth impeachment push

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is safe from an impeachment vote in the House of Representatives after GOP leaders successfully stopped a looming vote led by Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky.

A vote to refer Massie's resolution to the House Judiciary Committee for consideration — which effectively killed it in its tracks — passed on Tuesday evening by a 211-204 margin, averting a potential impeachment vote on Wednesday.

President Donald Trump celebrated the failed impeachment effort in a Truth Social post, calling Massie a "major LOSER" and praising Hegseth's record on military operations in Venezuela and Iran and recruitment.

HEGSETH IMPEACHMENT VOTE LOOMS AS HOUSE REPUBLICANS PRIVATELY WARN IT COULD PASS

U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon on Nov. 10, 2026 in Arlington, Virginia. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

"The Democrats’ attempt to impeach Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has miserably FAILED!" Trump wrote, calling the outcome the "EXONERATION of a Great American Patriot."

The GOP had been worried about having a significant number of absences on their side after their brutal midterm election performance last week, but it appears Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., wrangled one more victory on his way out the leadership door.

Massie's resolution is a wide-ranging piece of legislation accusing Hegseth of misusing his office via eight impeachment articles, spanning issues including the Iran war, U.S. strikes on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean and his retaliation against Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., over a video calling on troops to disobey "unlawful orders."

Hegseth railed against the effort and criticized Massie personally during a news conference Tuesday morning.

HEGSETH LABELS IMPEACHMENT PUSH A POLICY DISPUTE, BUT DO LAWMAKERS' ALLEGATIONS RISE TO HIGH CRIMES?

"What one disgruntled and defeated congressman is attempting is not oversight, and it's not accountability. It's a political spectacle, a personal manifesto driven by ego and resentment," Hegseth said.

The outgoing Kentucky Republican was able to force Tuesday night's vote over the objections of House GOP leaders by filing a privileged resolution, a mechanism aimed at bypassing the will of the chamber's majority. A privileged resolution must be considered within two legislative days of being filed.

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., speaks on impeaching U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth outside the U.S. Capitol on Nov. 9, 2026 in Washington, D.C. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK: HOW MIDTERMS MAY CHANGE THE HOUSE IMPEACHMENT EQUATION FOR HEGSETH

All Democrats present backed moving forward with the impeachment on Tuesday evening, as expected. All Republicans but Massie voted to kill the resolution.

But some were worried earlier in the day about weak attendance potentially clearing the path for an actual impeachment vote.

"I'm going to vote no," Rep. Jake Ellzey, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital. "I don't know if any Republicans other than Massie will be in support of his articles of impeachment, but I don't even know how many Republicans will be here by the time of the vote. The real question is how short are we. Numerically, if they're all here and we're not, what happens then?"

Ellzey called the impeachment effort "a ridiculous waste of time."

Even House Republicans who are critical of Hegseth were hesitant to support Massie's resolution.

"I think it's an effort to scapegoat Pete Hegseth for Congress shirking their own duty and, frankly, the president taking action that, in my view, is unconstitutional. but it's also not unprecedented," Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, who is opposed to the Trump administration's involvement in Iran, said.

Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, leaves the House Republican Conference caucus meeting at the Capitol Hill Club in Washington on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

"What would be unprecedented is to hold the secretary of defense accountable for a decision the president makes. Or, frankly, it would have been unprecedented for the secretary of defense to kind of break ranks on something that is clearly not unprecedented in terms of what has become the standard operating procedure for administrations going back to the Korean War."

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., a vocal critic of Hegseth's, told reporters Tuesday, "I'm personally not a fan of the secretary. I don't think he was the right guy in the job. But, also, when you read Massie's impeachment, I don't agree with it."

Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.

Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com