House Republicans on Tuesday blocked impeachment charges against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. By a margin of just seven votes, Republicans managed to bury the charges in committee through a 211-204 party-line procedural vote. Eleven Democrats skipped the vote, including Democratic Congressmember Nancy Pelosi of California. While House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who is vying for the speakership in January, expressed support for Hegseth’s impeachment, many wondered how it was such a surprise that he was unable to corral Democratic votes to impeach Hegseth. President Trump hailed the outcome as an “exoneration.” Hours before the vote, Hegseth blasted the impeachment articles and said he’d carry out the same operations again.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth: “Let’s be clear about what this resolution actually does. It tells our enemies, Iran, the cartels, every adversary watching, that the United States will actually punish its own warriors and its own civilian leadership for successfully executing lawful military operations.”