Pete Hegseth eked out a victory Friday night when Vice President JD Vance cast a tie-breaking vote to deliver him enough votes in the Senate to become the next secretary of defense.
Why It Matters
This is only the second time in modern history that the vice president has had to break a tie vote for a Cabinet pick.
Hegseth was widely considered the most controversial Cabinet nominee and was dogged by allegations of sexual misconduct and alcohol abuse ahead of his confirmation vote.
Newsweek reached out to Hegseth’s lawyer for comment via email on Friday night.
What To Know
The former Fox News host’s confirmation comes after months of lobbying for Republican votes. The GOP currently holds a slim majority in the Senate and with two Republicans already opposed to his nomination heading into Friday, Hegseth could only afford to lose one more vote to clinch his role as Pentagon chief.
Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski and Maine Senator Susan Collins had already announced that they would vote no on Hegseth before the vote. Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell also voted no, forcing Vance to travel to the U.S. Capitol Friday night to break the tie.
President Donald Trump, for his part, anticipated that the former Republican leader would break ranks, telling reporters earlier Friday, “Of course Mitch is always a no vote, I guess.”
Murkowski announced Thursday that she would not back Hegseth.
“While the allegations of sexual assault and excessive drinking do nothing to quiet my concerns, the past behaviors Mr. Hegseth has admitted to, including infidelity on multiple occasions, demonstrate a lack of judgment that is unbecoming of someone who would lead our armed forces,” the Alaska senator said in a lengthy statement on Thursday.
“The leader of the Department of Defense must demonstrate and model the standards of behavior and character we expect of all servicemembers, and Mr. Hegseth’s nomination to the role poses significant concerns that I cannot overlook,” she added.
Collins followed suit soon after, saying she couldn’t support Hegseth because of his views on women in combat.
“After careful consideration, I have decided to vote against Pete Hegseth’s nomination for Secretary of Defense,” the Maine senator said in a statement Thursday. “While I appreciate his courageous military service and his ongoing commitment to our servicemembers and their families, I am concerned that he does not have the experience and perspective necessary to succeed in the job.”
Controversies Surrounding Hegseth
Hegseth has previously called to get rid of “woke” military leaders and argued that women should not serve in combat roles. Hegseth has also advocated for pardoning service members accused of war crimes.
The former TV host faced further scrutiny when it surfaced that he was accused of sexual assault eight years ago. He was not charged and a spokesperson for Trump told Vanity Fair that Hegseth has “vigorously denied any and all accusations.”
His lawyer also previously told Newsweek, “Although an allegation was made, it was fully investigated and Pete was cleared. This unfortunate episode should have zero impact on the confirmation process.”
Earlier this week, it was revealed that Hegseth paid $50,000 to the woman who accused him of assault. Hegseth disclosed the figure in response to a set of questions from Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren.
“Mr. Hegseth, how much did you pay ‘Jane Doe’ as part of any non-disclosure agreement or other agreement related to this incident?” one of the questions said, according to a document Warren posted on X, formerly Twitter. He answered: “$50,000.”
“We can’t rush his vote and trust him with our national security,” the Massachusetts senator wrote on X.
The New Yorker also reported in December that Hegseth was allegedly intoxicated several times while he was CEO of the Koch-backed group Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) from 2013 to 2016.
The former host was so intoxicated that he needed “to be carried out of the organization’s events,” the report said. Asked about the allegations, Hegseth told reporters last month, “Not gonna dignify that with a response.”
What People Are Saying
A reporter asked Trump if he was disappointed McConnell had voted no, to which he responded: “I didn’t even know that … I just heard that we won. Winning is what matters, right?”
North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis, who was a key swing vote, announced he would back Hegseth in a statement while voting was underway: “I conducted my own due diligence, including asking tough questions of Pete, and I appreciated his candor and openness in answering them.”
Warren called Hegseth “the most unqualified” nominee for secretary of defense “in modern history,” saying in the Senate: “I’d like my Senate colleagues, people who are seriously considering voting to confirm Pete Hegseth, to think long and hard about this decision.”
California Senator Adam Schiff skewered Hegseth in his floor remarks, saying: “We must also consider this nominee’s absence of character becoming of a secretary of defense. You heard it in his confirmation hearings. You’ve heard it described by my colleagues today. You’ve seen it on television and read about it in the materials that all of us have been provided that demonstrates Mr. Hegseth’s unfitness for this office.
“Character matters. It does. It still does,” he added. “And no amount of tough talk on TV, or bromides about a warrior spirit can make up for a distinct lack of character.”
Democratic Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona said ahead of the vote: “Pete Hegseth isn’t going to shake up the Pentagon’s bureaucracy – it’s going to crush him. Because it’s not just his lack of experience. The little experience he does have is riddled with serious issues of mismanagement.”
The post JD Vance Secures Pete Hegseth as Defense Secretary with Tie-Breaking Vote appeared first on Newsweek.
