The backlash against 11 Democrats who were absent for the November 10 impeachment vote against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth continues to surge after the bid spectacularly failed in the House.
Critics argue that those Democrats, including Black representative Jonathan Jackson, helped Republicans stall the effort that had been first introduced by Kentucky Republican Thomas Massie back in September.
A portion of the anger stems from the timing, arriving just a week after voters swung control of both chambers back to the Democrats in the midterm elections.
And if those 11 lawmakers had joined their party, the impeachment resolution could have advanced. The measure ended up failing by a 211–204 vote.
Now, several of the lawmakers are offering excuses, with multiple individuals blaming a traffic snag in Washington for their absence.
Jackson also pointed to a traffic snag as the reason he missed the vote, but unlike the others, a reporter observed the Illinois Democrat on the Capitol steps well before the chamber vote, with ample time to enter and cast a ballot.
TMZ’s Charlie Cotton accused Jackson of lying about the traffic explanation.
“I saw Jonathan Jackson on the steps. After I interviewed AOC at 5:55 p.m., and it ended a couple minutes later, on the steps, I saw him. I saw Jonathan Jackson filming a social media video about the Hegseth impeachment,” Cotton alleged in a video he posted to X on November 11.
“And that would have been at about 5:57, 5:58 p.m. The Hegseth impeachment vote didn’t close until 6:05 p.m. And he was on the steps, like, that’s where the vote is. Just go inside the door, you’re right there,” Cotton continued, before asking, “So what happened in that time[?]”
“I don’t know, but this traffic jam story isn’t accurate… He could have cast a vote.”
“I just think this traffic jam nonsense is nonsense,” he added.
Cotton says he spoke with Jackson.
“I just got off the phone with Rep. Jackson, who agrees with my timeline and recalls seeing me, remembering our conversation. So I asked, why didn’t you cast your vote then? You were right there,” Cotton explained.
Cotton says Jackson told him “it was a mistake.”
“He said it was a mistake.”
When Cotton pressed the Democrat to clarify what that mistake entailed, Jackson declined, stating, “Mistake. Leave it at that. It’s on me.”
Cotton noted that “the traffic jam excuse wasn’t the actual reason he didn’t vote,” yet Jackson refused to explain what he was doing on the Capitol steps and why he didn’t simply go inside and vote.
“I think that’s not good enough. It’s just not acceptable. If this guy is as dangerous to America and our troops as you allege, it requires a more complete explanation,” Cotton complained.
Cotton and a TMZ crew also tracked down Jackson outside the Capitol on November 11, with the footage showing the congressman expressing regret about missing the vote without offering a reason.
Some of the other Democrats who skipped the vote offered apologies, with at least three more blaming traffic as well.
Any renewed impeachment attempt against Hegseth will have to wait until the newly seated Congress in January.
In September, Massie—an outgoing Republican who lost his seat after facing a Trump-backed primary due to his stance on releasing the Epstein files and his opposition to Israel aid—accused Hegseth of “high crimes and misdemeanors.”
Massie’s House Resolution outlined eight impeachment articles against Hegseth, including allegations of declaring and waging war on Iran without Congressional authorization, extrajudicial killings, violations of laws intended to minimize civilian casualties, and suppression of free speech, among others.
