Former Fox News host Pete Hegseth confirmed as U.S. defense secretary in tie-breaking vote
Rarely has a Cabinet nominee faced such wide-ranging concerns about his experience and behaviour as Hegseth
WASHINGTON — The Senate confirmed Pete Hegseth as the nation’s defense secretary Friday in a dramatic late-night vote, swatting back questions about his qualifications to lead the Pentagon amid allegations of heavy drinking and aggressive behavior toward women.
Rarely has a Cabinet nominee faced such wide-ranging concerns about his experience and behavior as Hegseth, particularly for such a high-profile role atop the U.S. military. But the Republican-led Senate was determined to confirm Hegseth, a former Fox News host and combat veteran who has vowed to bring a “warrior culture,” rounding out President Donald Trump’s top national security Cabinet officials.
Vice President JD Vance cast the tie-breaking vote, unusual in the Senate for Cabinet nominees, who typically win wider support. Hegseth himself was at the Capitol with his family.
“We have a great secretary of defense and we’re very happy,” Trump said as he boarded Air Force One after surveying fire devastation in California.
Trump said he didn’t care about the dissent from Sen. Mitch McConnell, the influential former Republican leader — who joined Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Sen. Susan Collins in voting against Hegseth — because the “important thing is winning.”
The Senate’s ability to confirm Hegseth despite a grave series of allegations against him will provide a measure of Trump’s political power and ability to get what he wants from the GOP-led Congress, and of the potency of the culture wars to fuel his agenda at the White House.
This is the second time a vice president has had to break a tie on a Cabinet nominee. Former Vice President Mike Pence cast the tie-breaking vote to confirm Betsy DeVos as education secretary in Trump’s first term. The Senate historian said at the time that Pence’s vote was the first by a vice president to break a 50-50 tie on a Cabinet nomination.
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