House blocks Hegseth impeachment

Shortly after the vote, Trump posted a sharp victory message on his Truth Social platform.

"The Democrats' attempt to impeach Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has FAILED MISERABLY! All Republicans, without exception, except Thomas Massie, a big loser, voted for Pete," the president wrote.

Trump went on to praise Hegseth and tie support for him to the administration's military achievements: "Again, the victories in Venezuela and Iran, the best recruitment numbers in military history, with long waiting lists of candidates seeking to enlist, and a fighting spirit the likes of which has almost never been seen before, have led to the vindication of a great American patriot."

He closed with an attack on the Democratic Party: "The Democrats continue to weaponize the United States of America and abuse it for political purposes. They must be stopped!"

The Pentagon later posted another image of Massie sitting in a car and pointing at the camera, with a biting caption: "Get in, loser, we're going to lose."

Hegseth himself had earlier attacked the impeachment initiative, calling it a "political stunt" and an "act of sabotage." He argued that the military actions cited in the articles were lawful and carried out under the president's orders.

Hegseth's political victory may not be the end of the story. Democrats are set to take control of Congress in January, and have already announced their intention to continue pursuing the defense secretary and his policies.