The Senate is scheduled to hold a final confirmation vote on Friday for the nomination of Pete Hegseth to be Secretary of Defense. This comes a day after he narrowly advanced the nomination, with two Republicans opposing him.
Hegseth is expected to be confirmed. Republican Reps. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine were the only Republicans to vote against him in Thursday’s procedural vote. Hegseth could afford three GOP defections if every Democrat votes “no.”
Murkowski cited “significant concerns” about the bid, while Collins said his background and lack of management experience drove her vote.
The final vote will be Friday evening unless senators reach an agreement to scale back the debate, which could be difficult due to Democratic opposition to Hegseth.
As the Senate debates, President Trump leaves the White House for his first trip since taking office, visiting disaster zones in North Carolina and California.
The president surveyed damage from Tropical Storm Helen in Asheville, North Carolina, during his campaign stop in October and plans to return there for an update. He will then head to Los Angeles to witness the devastation caused by wildfires that began earlier this month, killing 28 people and destroying thousands of structures.
California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom said he would be greeted by a political rival when he got off Air Force One.
The trip caps a whirlwind week for Trump, who has already taken influential steps to overhaul his government, including ending diversity programs, mobilizing the military to fight illegal immigration and announcing the U.S. would withdraw from international alliances.
Check here for updates throughout the day.
