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An attempt to initiate impeachment proceedings against US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who was accused of starting a war against Iran without Congressional authorization, failed.
The majority of members of the House of Representatives of Congress voted to transfer the articles of impeachment to the relevant committee. This essentially means ending the initiative put forward by Kentucky Republican Congressman Thomas Massie.
In his first Pentagon briefing in six months, Hegseth called the impeachment attempt a “farce” and a “sabotage.”
An attempt to find the head of the defense department guilty of official misconduct and have him removed from his post initially had very little chance of success, since it would have required a number of other Republicans to go against President Donald Trump, notes BBC White House correspondent Bernd Debusman Jr.
Thomas Massey's initiative was defeated by 211 votes to 204; however, more than ten legislators, including 11 Democrats, did not participate in the vote.
Transferring the document to a committee effectively nullifies all efforts, since there is very little time left before the end of the current Congress, and control of the House of Representatives will pass to the Democrats in January.
President Trump commented on the results of the vote on the social network Truth Social, saying that the attempt "failed miserably."
“Victories in Venezuela and Iran, the best recruiting rates in the military's history (huge waiting lists to enlist!) and incredible, rarely seen fighting spirit have led to the complete vindication of a great American patriot,” Trump wrote, referring to Hegseth.
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According to CBS, the BBC's American media partner, after the vote, Massey admitted that he was “not surprised,” but “disappointed.”
“My diagnosis for Congress is that these people know exactly what needs to be done,” he added. “But they just can’t bring themselves to do it, even when it would benefit them politically.”
Massie has previously acknowledged that his attempt to initiate impeachment proceedings may not succeed immediately, but he believes it could push Trump to replace Hegseth - even before Democrats have time to launch their own impeachment process.
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