President Donald Trump’s defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth was confirmed in a 51-50 vote as Vice President J.D. Vance broke a tie in the Senate Friday, ending one of the most contentious and vital confirmation battles of Trump’s early administration.
Vance’s tie-breaking vote to confirm a cabinet member was the second in American history after Mike Pence did the same to confirm Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education in the first Trump administration.
I thought I was done voting in the senate ?— JD Vance (@JDVance) January 25, 2025
Hegseth, an Army veteran and former Fox News anchor, is the epitome of Donald Trump’s campaign to dethrone the established elites from their seats of power, as he does not come from a high-ranking position in the armed forces.
Hegseth faced a salvo of accusations related to his relationships with alcohol and women, and whether he had the professional credentials to run the Defense Department. He pledged to refrain from drinking alcohol if confirmed and denied an allegation of sexual assault.
In December, Trump praised Hegseth as possessing a “Military state of mind,” and noted his degrees from Princeton University and Harvard University.
“He will be a fantastic, high energy, Secretary of Defense … one who leads with charisma and skill. Pete is a WINNER, and there is nothing that can be done to change that!!!” Trump added in a Truth Social post.
As the confirmation process went on, Hegseth began to consolidate support, especially after a strong performance in his confirmation hearing.
Ultimately, Hegseth successfully won over most Republican senators. The only defectors on the GOP side were Sens. Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins and Mitch McConnell, with Vice President JD Vance breaking the tie to secure Hegseth’s nomination.
Murkowski, who in the past opposed Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination and supported numerous Biden administration appointees, explained her vote against Hegseth ahead of time on X.
Since Mr. Hegseth’s nomination last November, I have met with him and carefully reviewed his writings, various reports, and other pertinent materials. I closely followed his hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee and gathered substantial feedback from organizations,…— Sen. Lisa Murkowski (@lisamurkowski) January 23, 2025
“Mr. Hegseth’s prior roles in his career do not demonstrate to me that he is prepared for such immense responsibility,” wrote Murkowski.
Trump lightly criticized Mitch McConnell and others for their opposition Friday, telling the press, “I was very surprised that Collins and Murkowski would do that. And of course, Mitch is always a ‘no’ vote, I guess.”
The situation began to look dire hours before the vote Friday, as rumors began to swirl that Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., would vote against Hegseth.
But Sen. Thom Tillis announced his support for Hegseth’s nomination in an X post Friday evening, saving the nominee and allowing Vance to cast a tie-breaking vote.
From the beginning, I have been clear about my position: if President Trump’s nominees were reported favorably out of the relevant committees, I would support their confirmation on the Senate floor absent new material information about their qualifications. Once Pete Hegseth’s…— Senator Thom Tillis (@SenThomTillis) January 25, 2025
Tillis said that he had asked “tough questions of Pete and … appreciated his candor and openness in answering them.”
“Pete has a unique perspective as a veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and is unquestionably passionate about modernizing our military and supporting the brave patriots like himself who serve our nation,” Tillis continued.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., said on X that Hegseth’s confirmation goes a long way towards restoring the lethality and readiness of the armed forces.
“It was an honor to support his nomination, and I look forward to seeing him restore trust in the Department of Defense by prioritizing war fighters over bureaucrats.”
