The Senate voted 51-50 to confirm Pete Hegseth as the next Secretary of Defense, following days of questioning by legislators. The narrow confirmation came after three Republicans voted against Hegseth, leading to Vice President JD Vance casting the tiebreaking vote to secure Hegseth’s new job.
The slim confirmation vote came after Hegseth was grilled by senators over several concerns about his past, including reports of heavy drinking, his management of a veterans advocacy group, accusation of sexual assault and a settlement payment tied to that, and also questions of whether or not he supported using the military against protesters.
In a late Friday night vote, senators were split on the veteran-turned-television host. Three Republican senators, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine and former Senate Majority Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, broke with their party to oppose Hegseth’s confirmation. Vice President JD Vance traveled to the Capitol to cast a tiebreaking vote. It’s the closest vote for Secretary of Defense since Chuck Hagel’s 2013 58-41 confirmation and only the second time in history the vice president has had to cast a tiebreaking vote for a cabinet position. Hegseth himself was in the building waiting for the results.
Hegseth, a former Fox News contributor and latter host and Army National Guard veteran, had been a vocal supporter of President Donald Trump during his first term. The 44-year-old takes over for Lloyd Austin, who left the role earlier this year. He deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan and was awarded two Bronze Stars. Hegseth left the military in 2021 with the rank of major. He’s now in charge of a massive department with almost three million personnel and a multi-billion dollar budget. During his confirmation hearings, Hegseth acknowledged his different background compared to other Defense Secretaries but denied several accusations of wrongdoing.
Robert Salesses has been serving as the acting Secretary of Defense while Hegseth’s nomination was in the Senate. While Hegseth was waiting for confirmation, the Trump administration issued several orders and changes in the Department of Defense, including sending troops to the U.S.-Mexico border and ending several working groups and programs tied to diversity in the military.