Hakeem Jeffries, in line to become speaker in January, is taking fire from his own left after 11 Democrats missed the vote that shelved Rep. Thomas Massie's articles. Hegseth has called the effort a sham.
By NATHAN BROOKSPolitics · Nov 11, 4:23 PM
CALIFORNIA — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said from the start that he would not bend to the impeachment push against him, calling it a sham in a video message released last week, Reuters reported. "We will not back down," he said. On Tuesday the House sided with him, at least for now, voting 211-204 to send Rep. Thomas Massie's impeachment articles to the Republican-led Judiciary Committee, a step that effectively halts the effort.
Now the fallout has moved from the House floor into the Democratic Party itself, and its target is the man who expects to be the next speaker, Hakeem Jeffries.
Newsweek reported that progressive voices are questioning Jeffries' future after the failed vote. Democratic adviser Saikat Chakrabarti called the outcome "a failure of Democratic leadership" in a post on X, and strategist Justin Snyder asked how a leader in line for the speakership could not whip his own caucus, according to Newsweek. Commentators Krystal Ball and Cenk Uygur also laid the blame on Jeffries.
Al Jazeera reported that 18 members missed the vote, 11 Democrats and seven Republicans, and that the motion would have failed had the absent Democrats voted with their party. Jeffries himself was not among the absent. Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove of California scolded her missing colleagues, and Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed told them to show up and do their jobs, Al Jazeera reported. MS NOW called the failed…
