• Impeachment foiled: House GOP leaders killed a push to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in a show of unity from a party battered after last week’s midterm drubbing. Eleven House Democrats missed the vote, giving GOP leaders the numbers to end the effort to oust Hegseth in this Congress.
• On Capitol Hill: House Republicans picked Rep. Jim Jordan — one of the GOP’s most combative figures — to lead the party in the minority next year. In the Senate, some Democrats and independent Sen. Bernie Sanders won’t pledge to back Chuck Schumer as majority leader.
• Eyes on Mississippi: The Senate race remains too close to call , but both candidates say they’re confident of a win. Democrat Scott Colom said he thought the results would be known today .
House GOP leadership have killed an effort from within their ranks to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
The impeachment push was led by outgoing GOP Rep. Thomas Massie, who outlined eight impeachment articles . The Kentucky Republican could try again another way (he’d already floated forcing a vote on each individual article).
After the vote, Massie said he would not pursue his impeachment effort during his remaining time in Congress, but still plans to needle the administration with another resolution to limit President Donald Trump’s war powers in Iran.
Trump celebrated the failed efforts and again called Massie a “major loser.”
Hegseth is also likely to face further accountability measures when Democrats take control of Congress in the new year. Democrats have focused on a narrower set of alleged offenses — some of which weren’t included in Massie’s eight articles.
After the vote, Democrats vowed to continue the effort.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters that “this is not the end.” Jeffries, who is set to become House speaker next year, said previously that Democrats would have that conversation “at the appropriate time.”
Progressive Democrats, too, indicated they are open to more impeachment efforts.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told CNN, “there are so many criminals in this administration,” adding it would be hard to figure out “the order of operations.”
Regarding Democrats’ urgency to impeach Hegseth, Rep. Pramila Jayapal said, “Yeah, but maybe not Day 1.”
More Democrats missed the vote than Republicans, giving GOP leaders the numbers to successfully kill Massie’s impeachment effort. Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi was among 11 Democrats who missed the vote.
“You should show up and do your job,” Michigan Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed told CNN of the 11 Democratic representatives that were not present for the vote.
Speaking to CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on "The Source," Michigan Democratic Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed delivered a message to Pete Hegseth after Republicans blocked an effort to impeach the secretary of defense.
CNN’s Alison Main, Manu Raju, Saher Mir, Gabriel Vargas, Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, Ellis Kim, Aileen Graef and Aaron Blake contributed reporting.
CNN’s Manu Raju asks House Democrats, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rep. Pramila Jayapal , what’s next after Republicans blocked an effort to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
CNN’s Manu Raju asks House Democrats, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), what’s next after Republicans blocked an effort to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Republicans have chosen one of the party’s most combative figures to lead the House minority, Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, a clear sign that they are ready for battle with Democrats next year. CNN’s Manu Raju reports.
Republicans have chosen one of the party’s most combative figures to lead the House minority, Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, a clear sign that they are ready for battle with Democrats next year. CNN’s Manu Raju reports.
