Pete Hegseth was confirmed by the Senate on Friday night as President Donald Trump’s new Secretary of Defense, but it wasn’t easy. The vote was close, and tensions were high.
Two Republican senators, Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), announced the day before the vote that they would not support Hegseth. This came after allegations against him, including claims of alcohol addiction and sexual assault. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) also voted against the nomination.
With the Senate split evenly at 50-50, Vice President JD Vance stepped in to cast the tie-breaking vote in favor of Hegseth’s confirmation. All Democrats voted against him, sticking together in opposition.
There was some speculation on Friday that Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) might also vote no, but he ended up voting for the 44-year-old former Fox News host.
Trump nominated Hegseth back on November 13, but his confirmation hit a roadblock almost immediately. It was revealed that Hegseth had settled out of court with a woman who had accused him of sexual assault. While he wasn’t charged with any crime, the allegations raised concerns.
In addition to the sexual assault claim, Hegseth’s past struggles with alcohol and his marital issues also came under scrutiny. Further, comments he made about women in combat roles were brought up, though he later explained that those views didn’t reflect his current stance.
Despite the controversy, Hegseth didn’t back down. He said he chose not to withdraw from the nomination because Trump had specifically picked him to bring a “warrior culture” back to the Department of Defense.