Pete Hegseth becomes Defense Secretary in close vote


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Pete Hegseth secured his position as Secretary of Defense through a narrow Senate confirmation on Friday evening, with Vice President JD Vance providing the decisive tie-breaking vote needed for approval. Hegseth joins as the third confirmed member of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet.

The confirmation process hinged on delicate Republican support, given their 53-seat majority in the Senate. Hegseth could withstand no more than three GOP defections while still maintaining confirmation through Vance’s tie-breaking authority.

Following his confirmation, Hegseth expressed his gratitude, stating “Thank you for your confidence Mr. President. Thank you for the tie-breaker Mr. Vice President. Thank you Senators for 50 votes. This is for the troops. For the warriors. For our country. America First. Every day. We will never back down.”

The path to confirmation faced significant obstacles, with Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Susan Collins (Maine) announcing their opposition beforehand. Their concerns centered on Hegseth’s qualifications, his previous statements regarding women in combat positions, and unproven allegations of misconduct involving alcohol and sexual behavior. Hegseth has consistently denied all accusations, many of which came from unnamed sources.

Kentucky’s Republican Senator Mitch McConnell emerged as a surprise opponent, releasing a critical statement after casting his opposing vote. He declared, “Mere desire to be a ‘change agent’ is not enough to fill these shoes. And ‘dust on boots’ fails even to distinguish this nominee from multiple predecessors of the last decade. Nor is it a precondition for success. Secretaries with distinguished combat experience and time in the trenches have failed at the job.”

McConnell further expressed his doubts, stating, “Mr. Hegseth has failed, as yet, to demonstrate that he will pass this test. But as he assumes office, the consequences of failure are as high as they have ever been.”

President Trump appeared unbothered by McConnell’s opposition to his nominee. When journalists inquired about McConnell’s negative vote, Trump responded dismissively, “I didn’t even know that.” He added simply, “I just heard that we won. Winning is what matters, right?”

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