Breaking down Hegseth's rebuke of impeachment calls

As of November 11, 2026, Pete Hegseth, the U.S. Defense Secretary, narrowly avoided impeachment in the House by a vote of 211–204 after Democrats failed to secure enough votes due to several lawmakers missing the crucial procedural motion vote, citing traffic issues as their reason for absence. The midterm elections' Republican losses have put Hegseth under scrutiny, with some White House aides suggesting he could be a fall guy for Trump's administration failures. Despite internal discussions questioning his tenure and Democrats pushing for impeachment over decisions like ending diversity initiatives at the Pentagon, President Trump has defended Hegseth, stating he is doing "a very good job." Democrats seeking $350 billion in military funding also had to dismiss the impeachment effort as political theater, highlighting partisan divisions.