US Republicans block effort to impeach Pete Hegseth

Résumé détaillé

Defence secretary has become public face of some of Trump administration’s most politically costly policies, including the Iran war ...

Republicans in the US House of Representatives on Tuesday blocked an effort to impeach Pete Hegseth, rejecting allegations that the defence secretary had repeatedly violated the constitution through his handling of the Iran war and other conflicts globally.

The vote came a week after Republicans lost control of the Senate and the House in their worst midterm election in more than a half century, and underscored how politicians remain wary of crossing US president Donald Trump, who has signalled his continued support for Hegseth.

Thomas Massie, a Republican congressman who lost his primary after breaking with the president, had proposed impeaching Hegseth in September, alleging an array of illegal acts, including killing civilians in Iran, launching unauthorised operations in Venezuela and Yemen and retaliating against a Democratic senator.

Top Democrats announced their support for the resolution, but Republicans moved to kill it by referring it to the judiciary committee. Their motion succeeded on Tuesday, by a 211-204 vote, largely along party lines. Massie was the sole Republican to oppose the motion, along with all Democrats.

The resolution’s downfall took place hours after Hegseth held a defiant press conference at the Pentagon, where he dismissed the impeachment effort as a “political spectacle” orchestrated by the ousted Kentucky congressman.

“It’s a farce, and it’s a stunt, and everybody knows it,” Hegseth said.

The conflict with Iran has proven divisive with Republicans, and in advance of the midterms, small but growing numbers voted with Democrats on war powers resolutions intended to force Trump to bring the hostilities to a close. Warren Davidson, one of the House Republicans who voted for such resolutions, said he nonetheless rejected the idea of impeaching Hegseth.

“It’s an effort to blame-shift on to Hegseth Congress’s failure and president Trump’s decision,” Davidson said in an interview.

“I think Hegseth has been incredibly effective at restoring morale for…

Début de l'article, extrait de The Irish Times. Pour lire la suite, ouvrez l'article chez le média.