The Senate confirmed former Fox News host Pete Hegseth because the nation’s subsequent secretary of protection on Friday after weeks of debate about his slim {qualifications} and his alleged historical past of alcohol abuse and home abuse.
The vote was 50-50, with GOP Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and a shock Mitch McConnell of Kentucky standing in opposition. The three Republican no votes pressured Vice President JD Vance to solid a tie-breaking determination in Hegseth’s favor.
It’s the primary time in U.S. historical past {that a} protection secretary was confirmed by a tie vote within the Senate.
Hegseth, a 44-year-old veteran who has vowed to finish “woke” navy insurance policies, was nominated by then-President-elect Donald Trump in November to the bewilderment of a lot of the nationwide safety group. He’s set to start the job because the least experienced defense secretary in trendy historical past.
Republicans defended the choose, saying that an unconventional chief with expertise exterior authorities is required to shake up the division and “restore American power” overseas. Those that initially expressed considerations had been shortly met with threats of primaries by Trump’s allies.
McConnell’s no vote got here as a slight shock after he voted to advance Hegseth’s nomination earlier this week. In an announcement shortly after his vote, McConnell pointed to Hegseth’s lack of expertise for the function that oversees 3 million folks employed by the armed forces and manages a virtually $1 trillion price range.
“Mere need to be a ‘change agent’ is just not sufficient to fill these footwear,” McConnell mentioned within the assertion, which made no point out of the abuse allegations towards Hegseth.
Throughout his affirmation listening to, Democrats grilled Hegseth about his resume, his previous vocal opposition to ladies serving in fight roles, accusations of monetary mismanagement at veterans organizations he led, and the allegations of home and alcohol abuse leveled towards him. Hegseth disclosed on Thursday that he paid $50,000 to the lady who accused him of sexual assault in 2017, an incident he has denied.
Earlier this week, senators additionally reviewed a sworn affidavit containing extra allegations towards Hegseth, together with that his second ex-wife feared for her security throughout their marriage, and that he usually abused alcohol to the purpose of passing out at household gatherings. Each Hegseth and his second spouse denied there was bodily abuse of their marriage.
Though most Republicans dismissed the allegations, Murkowski mentioned Hegseth’s historical past and extreme behaviors he has admitted to “display a scarcity of judgment that’s unbecoming of somebody who would lead our armed forces.” Collins, in the meantime, mentioned she had considerations about Hegseth’s capability to run a authorities company with 3 million workers and a price range of practically $850 billion.
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Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) virtually begged Republicans to select another person for the job, suggesting that many Republican senators could be extra applicable than Hegseth.
“Is that this man, with a recognized historical past of extreme consuming, the man you need on the opposite finish of the cellphone at 2 a.m. in a disaster, answerable for the nuclear codes?” Schumer requested. “Who’re we kidding?
