The Senate confirmed former Fox News host Pete Hegseth as the next Secretary of Defense on Friday after weeks of debate over his poor qualifications and history of alcohol abuse and domestic abuse.
The vote was 50-50, with Republican senators Susan Collins (Maine), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), and Mitch McConnell (Kentucky) standing in opposition. With three Republicans not voting, Vice President J.D. Vance broke the tie in Hegseth’s favor.
This is the first time in U.S. history that the Secretary of Defense has been confirmed by a tie vote in the Senate.
Hegseth, a 44-year-old veteran who has pledged to end “woke” military policies, was nominated by then-President-elect Donald Trump last November to the dismay of much of the national security community. He will begin his career as the least experienced Secretary of Defense in modern history.
Republicans defended the choice, saying an unconventional leader with experience outside government was needed to shake up the department and restore American power abroad. Those who initially expressed concern were quickly met with primary threats from Trump allies.
McConnell’s no vote came as a bit of a surprise after he voted to advance Hegseth’s nomination earlier this week. In a statement immediately after the vote, McConnell noted Hegseth’s lack of experience in the role, which oversees 3 million people employed in the military and manages a budget of nearly $1 trillion.
“The mere desire to be an ‘agent of change’ is not enough,” McConnell said in a statement, which did not mention the allegations of abuse against Hegseth.
During his confirmation hearing, Democrats delved into Hegseth’s resume, his past vocal opposition to women serving in combat roles, accusations of financial mismanagement of the veterans organization he leads, and allegations of domestic and alcohol abuse. Hegseth revealed Thursday that he paid $50,000 to a woman who accused him of sexual assault in 2017, an incident he has denied.
Earlier this week, senators reviewed an affidavit containing more allegations against Hegseth. These include that Hegseth’s second ex-wife feared for her safety during their marriage and that he regularly abused alcohol to the point of passing out at family gatherings. Hegseth and his second wife denied that there was any physical abuse in their marriage.
Most Republicans dismissed the claims, but Murkowski said she acknowledged Hegseth’s history and excesses “demonstrated a lack of judgment unbecoming of a man leading our military.” Meanwhile, Collins said he was concerned about Hegseth’s ability to run a government agency with 3 million employees and a budget of nearly $850 billion.
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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (DY) virtually implored Republicans to pick someone else for the job, suggesting that many Republican senators would be better suited than Hegseth.
“Is this man with a known history of heavy drinking, the man you want to talk to on the phone at 2 in the morning, controlling the nuclear codes in a crisis?” Schumer asked. “Who are we kidding?
