Republicans Pick Jordan and Thune, Then Kill Hegseth Impeachment

House Republicans elected Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio as their minority leader on Nov. 10, 2026, defeating Majority Leader Steve Scalise 106-73 in a closed-door vote. Senate Republicans, after hours of private discussion, reelected Sen. John Thune of South Dakota as their leader. The same day, the House rejected a resolution to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over his handling of the war in Iran and other conduct in office.

The Hegseth vote came as Republicans absorbed sweeping midterm losses that will make them the minority in both chambers in January. Some in the party have blamed the losses on the war in Iran and the resulting surge in gas prices. Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who led the impeachment push, was the only Republican to vote against a motion to send the bid to a committee, effectively tabling it.

The two leadership choices point in different directions. Jordan, the House Judiciary Committee chairman, brings a combative style to the minority leader's post. Thune's reelection signals continuity in the Senate, though some conservatives pushed to delay the vote while seeking a plan for how he intended to handle the lame-duck session. Thune was reelected anyway.

Together, the picks and the impeachment vote show a party balancing Trump loyalty with internal demands for a new direction. The Hegseth vote, in particular, signals that most GOP lawmakers are unwilling to break with Trump's cabinet even after electoral losses.

How Jordan's leadership will shape House GOP strategy against the incoming Democratic majority is not yet known. Nor is Thune's specific plan for the lame-duck session, which some senators demanded. Whether the Hegseth impeachment effort will be revived in the next Congress remains an open question.