Pete Hegseth escapes House impeachment for now

The US House of Representatives on Tuesday turned aside a resolution to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, halting an effort to remove the Pentagon chief for his conduct in office and his handling of the war in Iran. 

The vote came as Republicans grapple with the fallout from sweeping midterm losses that some in the party have blamed on the war in Iran and the resulting surge in gas prices.

But after President Donald Trump signaled strong support for Hegseth, GOP lawmakers largely stood by the secretary Tuesday. They rejected the impeachment effort led by Kentucky Republican Thomas Massie and backed by Democrats.

The vote may only delay an impeachment push against Hegseth, with Democrats set to take control of the House and Senate in January.

Massie's resolution included eight counts of impeachment. It largely focused on the war in Iran but also included references to Hegseth's role in carrying out military actions in Yemen and Venezuela.