Did Democrats save Pete Hegseth from impeachment?

The House of Representatives blocked an effort to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday, delivering a procedural victory to the Trump administration.

The vote was not on the merits of the charges, but on whether to refer the articles to the House Judiciary Committee for further investigation.

The resolution passed 211-204, with Republican Congressman Thomas Massie as the sole member of his party to oppose the measure.

The move effectively ends the impeachment drive for the remainder of the current Congress, which concludes in eight weeks.

The vote was a narrow procedural maneuver that critics described as a tactic to kill the resolution.

Absent lawmakers decide outcome

Had the Democrats shown up and voted with their colleagues, they would have had the numbers to defeat the procedural move and force a full House vote on impeachment.

The absent Democrats included high-profile figures such as House Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi and Representative Frederica Wilson.

The representatives offered varying explanations for their absence, with some citing traffic delays in Washington, DC.

Pelosi said she was in her home state for a veterans event, while Lou Correa said he was in California before undergoing a health procedure.

Representative Brittany Pettersen, who helped introduce the impeachment articles in April, said she had been "denied the ability to vote on this motion".

Several absent lawmakers stated they would have opposed the measure if present.

Democratic outrage and leadership criticism

Democratic politicians and progressive commentators have expressed outrage over the poor attendance that impacted the vote.

Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove criticized her colleagues for not showing up, saying, "We knew that this vote was coming, so people should have gotten their raggedy selves up these steps to vote."

Senator-elect El-Sayed responded to the absences by saying, "You should show up and do your job."

Political commentators have pointed the finger at Democratic House leader Hakeem Jeffries, accusing him of failing to exert sufficient pressure on party members.

Political commentator Krystal Ball called the vote "a major Hakeem Jeffries fail."

Progressive writer Laura Bassett said, "Jeffries didn't even whip the vote. He told people to 'vote their conscience', and 11 members of his caucus didn't show up."

Next steps and impeachment prospects

Hegseth could still be impeached when the new Democratic-controlled Congress convenes in January.

Jeffries has said he will consult members about another potential bid to impeach Hegseth next year, stating, "We'll have that conversation at the appropriate time."

A successful impeachment vote would trigger a trial in the Senate, where conviction and removal from office would require at least two-thirds support.

Democrats would likely need about a dozen Republicans to join them to secure Hegseth’s removal.

Only eight federal judges have ever been convicted by the Senate, and Trump was acquitted in both of his impeachment trials.