Byron Donalds says he will not vote to impeach Hegseth
Byron DonaldsU.S. representative for Florida's 19th District and Florida governor-elect, interviewed on CNN
Florida Governor-elect Byron Donalds tells CNN's Dana Bash he will not vote to impeach Pete Hegseth, November 4, 2026.
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Video: CNN. Excerpt used for news reporting and commentary
Watch the full original video (opens in a new tab) (relevant passage: 0:04 to 1:14, Dana Bash's question on impeachment and Donalds' answer)
On election coverage the night after he won Florida's governor race, Donalds tells CNN's Dana Bash he will not vote to impeach Hegseth if the House takes it up before he leaves Congress. Asked whether fellow Republicans would be wrong to vote for it, he says Hegseth is doing his job for the commander in chief and that voters want Congress focused on costs, not impeachments.
“I'm not voting to impeach Pete Hegseth. ... I mean, first of all, Pete Hegseth is the secretary of war. ... So again, these impeachment things that come up, I just don't agree with that.”
Original video
Where this statement fits
Should Pete Hegseth be impeached?
Members of the House have advanced multiple impeachment proposals involving Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Rep. Shri Thanedar introduced H.Res. 935 in December 2025, Rep. Yassamin Ansari introduced H.Res. 1177 in April 2026, and Rep. Thomas Massie announced in September that he would offer a privileged resolution. The proposals allege distinct conduct involving military operations, oversight, and the handling of sensitive information; the proposals themselves do not establish those allegations. Hegseth disputed the characterization that anyone was “texting war plans,” while Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson called the April effort a charade and, after Massie read his articles on September 15, defended Hegseth’s record without addressing the specific allegations. The dispute is whether the House should impeach Hegseth on the basis of the congressional proposals and available evidence.
Source and context
Original video
About this source
CNN video clip, 1 minute 14 seconds, of Dana Bash's November 4, 2026, interview with Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida, the day after he won the Florida governor's race. Bash asks how he would vote if the House takes up Hegseth's impeachment before Donalds leaves Congress.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Watch the clip from this source at the top of the page.
Before the quotation
Bash notes that Donalds is still a member of Congress until he becomes governor and that Hegseth could be impeached by the House the following week, and asks how he would vote. Donalds first says he is not sure what will come forward and will look at the matter when he returns to Washington.
After the quotation
Donalds says Democrats are posting about subpoenas and lawyering up, but that the voters he met while campaigning across Florida, Democrats among them, care about affordability and lower costs rather than investigations and impeachments.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
On whether the House should impeach Hegseth, Donalds says he will vote no, says Hegseth is doing his job under the commander in chief, and says he disagrees with the impeachment efforts. He opposes impeachment and defends Hegseth.
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“Like Rep. Stansbury, I was stuck behind the same police escort blocking the Capitol when Republicans closed the vote. I would have voted no and believe strongly that Pete Hegseth should be impeached.”Read statement
Stansbury's office says Republicans moved to kill the Hegseth impeachment and he must be impeached now
“Tonight, House Republicans used a procedural motion to kill the impeachment of Pete Hegseth, by referring it to the Judiciary Committee. ... Pete Hegseth must be impeached now.”Read statement
Pentagon calls the impeachment a sham after the House sends it to committee
“It collapses under the weight of Secretary Hegseth's record of restoring the warrior ethos, delivering results and putting the mission first. The American people see through it ... We will not indulge the political theater driven by a disgruntled soon-to-be former congressman and others who have chosen grandstanding over governing ... We look forward to ending this sham impeachment in the committee room, where facts will continue to prevail and this distraction can be put to rest.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Byron Donalds says he will not vote to impeach Hegseth". First published: 2026-11-09. Last updated: 2026-11-09. https://disputeindex.com/events/8364-on-election-coverage-the-night-after-he-won