Updated November 11, 2026 — 11:26am , first published November 11, 2026 — 4:39am

Washington: Republicans saved Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth from an impeachment vote in the US Congress, using their numbers in the House of Representatives to refer the matter to a committee, effectively killing it off.

The vote on Tuesday evening (US time) was 211 to 204 in favour of a referral to the House Judiciary Committee. Thomas Massie, the outgoing Republican congressman who started the proceedings, was the only Republican to support an immediate vote on impeachment.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth labelled the impeachment proceedings a “farce” and an act of sabotage. AP Photo/Nathan Howard

But 11 Democrats, including former speaker Nancy Pelosi, missed the vote.…