Vice President J.D. Vance forged his first tie-breaking vote on Friday evening to assist the Senate verify Pete Hegseth as protection secretary, because the nominee satisfied simply sufficient Republicans that assaults on his character and {qualifications} had been unfounded.
The ultimate vote was 51-50, with three Republicans — Sens. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska — becoming a member of all Democrats in opposition.
It was solely the second time in U.S. historical past {that a} vice chairman forged the tie-breaking vote to verify a Cupboard nominee. The primary was when Vice President Mike Pence did it to make Betsy DeVos the schooling secretary in President Trump’s first time period.
Republicans who supported Mr. Hegseth mentioned they’re wanting ahead to his plans to shake up the Pentagon, remove variety, fairness and inclusion initiatives and deal with meritocracy-based requirements that can promote army readiness.
“Mr. Hegseth will convey a warrior’s perspective to the function of protection secretary and can present much-needed recent air on the Pentagon,” Senate Majority Chief John Thune, South Dakota Republican, mentioned. “Gone would be the days of woke distractions. The Pentagon’s focus can be on warfighting.”
Mr. Hegseth, an Military fight veteran and former Fox Information host, is taken into account an unconventional decide to steer the Protection Division given his restricted management expertise and prolonged report of eyebrow-raising public commentary, together with repeated remarks suggesting girls mustn’t serve in fight.
Issues about his {qualifications} compounded after allegations emerged that he mismanaged funds and ignored inappropriate habits of workers at two veterans organizations he ran from 2007-2016, sexually assaulted a lady in 2017 and abused alcohol all through that interval and past.
Mr. Hegseth and his allies launched an aggressive public relations marketing campaign to save lots of his nomination, dismissing the allegations as nameless, politically focused smears. They fought again with on-the-record statements of help from quite a few associates he served with within the army or labored with afterward at veterans organizations and Fox Information.
By the point one in every of Mr. Hegseth’s accusers went public on Tuesday — his former sister-in-law submitted an affidavit to the Armed Providers Committee alleging he engaged in alcohol and spousal abuse — he appeared to have shored up sufficient help amongst Republicans to win affirmation.
However a beforehand declared supporter, North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, wavered after studying Danielle Hegseth’s testimony that her former brother-in-law made his ex-wife concern for her security and that she witnessed a number of events by which he abused alcohol and would make disparaging feedback about girls and racial minorities.
Mr. Hegseth despatched Mr. Tillis a last-minute letter on Friday disputing Ms. Hegseth’s claims, saying they “by no means acquired alongside” and he or she is a Democrat who harbors “partisan and private animosity” in direction of him. He mentioned his ex-wife Samantha already refuted the abuse allegations and he admitted to being drunk at instances, however to not the extremes his former sister-in-law described.
“I’ve been very open about how I’ve used alcohol previously to cope with the demons that I’ve skilled from my time in Iraq and Afghanistan, as numerous of my fellow veterans have,” he mentioned. “Nevertheless, that is one thing that I’ve overcome.”
Mr. Tillis ended up voting for Mr. Hegseth, saving his nomination.
Senate Armed Providers Chairman Roger Wicker, who didn’t discover any credibility to the allegations, mentioned Mr. Hegseth did an “wonderful” job weathering the assaults.
“He’s been by fight. He’s powerful and resilient,” the Mississippi Republican mentioned.
Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a senior Democrat on the Armed Providers panel, mentioned he was “strongly dissatisfied” however not shocked that Republicans confirmed Mr. Hegseth given the “relentless” stress marketing campaign from Mr. Trump and his allies.
Going ahead, he mentioned, they’ll be preserving an additional eye on the Pentagon.
“I feel we’re going to must be very powerful on our oversight and scrutiny,” Mr. Blumenthal mentioned.
Mr. Hegseth’s partisan affirmation vote is just not an anomaly within the context of different Trump nominees, each from his first time period and what’s nonetheless to return in his second. However it’s atypical for a protection secretary nominee to not earn bipartisan help.
President Biden’s protection secretary Lloyd Austin gained affirmation with 93 votes, with solely two Republicans voting towards him and 5 others not voting.
Mr. Trump’s first-term Pentagon picks, James Mattis and Mark Esper, earned 98 votes and 90 votes, respectively. Just one Democrat voted towards Mr. Mattis, whereas eight opposed Mr. Esper.
President Obama’s first protection secretary, Leon Panetta, was unanimously confirmed, and the 2 successors that adopted him through the Obama administration additionally had bipartisan help. Nevertheless, Chuck Hagel did face important Republican opposition, incomes help from solely 4 GOP senators in his 58-49 affirmation vote.
“I refuse to consider that Pete Hegseth is the most effective that Republicans can provide you with for secretary of Protection. There are absolutely different people – loads of others – the president may nominate that might be conservative voices,” mentioned Senate Minority Chief Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat. “We might disagree with their views, however a minimum of we’d must admit they’re certified.”
Many Democrats mentioned their no votes on Mr. Hegseth had been the primary they’ve ever forged towards a protection secretary nominee, together with Senate Armed Providers rating member Jack Reed of Rhode Island, who has served within the Senate since 1997.
“At a naked minimal, former secretaries of protection have had the expertise, knowledge, and character to do this job,” Mr. Reed mentioned. “Mr. Hegseth, nonetheless, is just not certified to satisfy the overwhelming calls for to be secretary of protection.”
Mr. Reed cited a wide range of sources, together with Mr. Hegseth’s personal writings, that “implicate him with disregarding the legal guidelines of warfare, monetary mismanagement, racist and sexist remarks about women and men in uniform, alcohol abuse, sexual assault, sexual harassment, and different troubling points.”
He mentioned Mr. Hegseth “dodged and deferred” when requested about these points throughout his affirmation listening to and did nothing “to alleviate the fears my colleagues and I’ve that there’s blackmail materials and a sample of abuse in his private historical past that may very well be utilized by adversaries to attempt to affect him.”
Mr. Hegseth, regardless of denying that he sexually assaulted a lady in 2017, admitted he settled a lawsuit together with her years later to keep away from a success to his popularity. The settlement quantity was $50,000, the Related Press reported on Thursday, hours after Mr. Hegseth already cleared a key take a look at vote within the Senate.
Republicans dismissed the sexual assault allegation given Mr. Hegseth’s denial and the truth that prosecutors declined to convey fees after a police report was filed and investigated. Their issues about studies of his extreme consuming had been abated when Mr. Hegseth promised he wouldn’t drink if confirmed.
Mr. Hegseth notably sipped on espresso as an alternative of the champagne supplied to toast Mr. Trump through the inaugural luncheon on the Capitol on Monday.
Mr. Wicker mentioned Mr. Hegseth’s unconventionality is what makes him a good selection to steer the Pentagon.
“He’s not beholden to the established order, and he’s open to new concepts,” he mentioned. “His expertise within the line of fireside and his servicemember advocacy make a minimum of one factor clear: Pete Hegseth will put the women and men of our army first.”
