GOP branded ‘sinking ship’ as Republicans block efforts to impeach Hegseth - US politics live

Key Points:

• House Republicans blocked a resolution to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, with a 211-204 vote largely along party lines, reflecting GOP reluctance to oppose Donald Trump’s favored ally despite recent midterm losses.
• Republican Congressman Thomas Massie criticized his party for remaining loyal to Trump, likening the GOP to Titanic passengers unwilling to abandon a "sinking ship" after losing control of both the Senate and House.
• Trump praised the vote outcome as an "exoneration" of Hegseth and condemned Massie for forcing the impeachment vote, while the Pentagon declared the referral of impeachment articles as a "total victory."
• Some Democrats, including Nancy Pelosi, skipped the vote, causing the impeachment effort to fail; House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries indicated discussions on a potential new impeachment attempt in the next Congress.
• In related political developments, Jim Jordan was elected House minority leader, John Thune retained his Senate minority leader role, and the Kennedy family filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over a planned arch near Arlington National Cemetery.