US House rejects bid to hold Defense Secretary Bet Hegseth accountable

Republicans in the US House of Representatives on Tuesday blocked an attempt to hold Defense Secretary Bet Hegseth accountable with the aim of removing him, granting the embattled official a reprieve until Democrats assume control of Congress next year, when they may try again.

The procedural vote came just hours after Hegseth fiercely criticized the efforts to hold him accountable and remove him as a "farce," and defiantly defended his record leading the US military, drawing praise from President Donald Trump.

The House voted 211 to 204 in favor of referring the eight articles of accountability to the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee, a move that the resolution's sponsor, Representative Thomas Massie, warned would effectively kill the effort.

Massie, a Republican from Kentucky whose term is ending, had hoped to win support from fellow Republicans dissatisfied with Hegseth's policies and concerned about the unpopularity of the war with Iran, but no other Republicans joined him.

Democrats strongly backed the effort to hold Hegseth accountable and remove him, but 11 of them—including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California—did not vote.

Trump hailed the vote's outcome in a social media post, declaring the attempt to hold Hegseth accountable a "total failure!"

Signaling a closer relationship between Trump and Hegseth, the president said the defense secretary's handling of Iran, Venezuela, and other issues had "vindicated a great American patriot."

Hegseth would have been the first defense secretary to face removal proceedings. The last time a civilian head of the US military faced accountability and removal was in 1876, when William Belknap held the title of "Secretary of War."

Hegseth refers to himself as Secretary of War as part of his effort to reshape the image of a military he said was too weak when he took office last year. Trump cannot change the Department of Defense's name without congressional approval.