Mayur MohtaHouse Democrats are facing sharp criticism from within their own party after a push to advance impeachment proceedings against Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth collapsed, the Wall Street Journal reports, citing insider sources.
A Push That Never Took Off
House Democrats are dealing with backlash from inside their own ranks. This comes after their attempt to move forward with impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fell apart. The Wall Street Journal broke the story, quoting people familiar with the matter.
The House had already blocked the effort to open impeachment proceedings against Hegseth. During the vote, 211 lawmakers chose to send the impeachment resolution to the chamber’s Judiciary Committee. That move effectively shelved the whole matter.
Democrats Turn On Each Other
“The Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has avoided impeachment. Democrats are blaming each other for how it happened,” the WSJ report states.
According to the newspaper, 11 Democratic lawmakers skipped the crucial vote meant to push the impeachment effort forward. Their absence triggered an internal party clash. Several Democrats slammed their colleagues for not showing up. Others blamed the party’s House leadership for mishandling the whole situation.
The Excuses Behind The Absences
Lawmakers who missed the vote pointed to several reasons for their absence. Some cited traffic jams around the Capitol. Others mentioned urgent medical procedures. A few pointed to personal circumstances that kept them away, the report notes.
Hegseth Hits Back
Hegseth held a press conference on Tuesday addressing the impeachment attempt against him. He said he was ready to face a congressional hearing on the matter. He accused the people behind the impeachment push of sabotaging the president’s decisions. Hegseth also claimed their actions put America’s armed forces at risk.
Akshay Didwaniya
Pratik Agrawal
Aditya Didwaniya
