US Republicans derail push to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth seems set to survive the impeachment bid launched by maverick Republican lawmaker Thomas Massie, with President Donald Trump praising the outcome of the vote. US House Republicans voted on Tuesday to effectively block an impeachment bid against US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth , handing a victory to President Donald Trump as his administration reels from last week's midterm defeat .

Trump praised the outcome online, describing Hegseth as a "Great American Patriot" and saying the effort to impeach the hawkish Pentagon chief "has miserably FAILED!" Hegseth has been facing increasing political pressure over the Iran war . Yesterday, Republican lawmaker Thomas Massie introduced a resolution to impeach Hegseth in an apparent bid to force a vote before the new US Congress convenes in January.

Massie is one of the few prominent Republicans who is also an outspoken Trump critic. The Kentucky congressman accuses the US defense secretary of waging the war illegally and without congressional approval.