Pete Hegseth, an Iraq and Afghanistan struggle veteran and former Fox Information host who promised to “return the Pentagon to the warfighters,” was confirmed as President Trump’s protection secretary in a dramatic Friday night time Senate vote.
The Senate voted 51-50 making Hegseth, 44, the chief of the nation’s armed forces, with three Republicans — Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky — becoming a member of all 47 Democrats to oppose the appointment.
JD Vance was compelled to develop into solely the second vice chairman in US historical past to solid a tie-breaking vote for a cupboard official. Former Vice President Mike Pence helped verify Training Secretary Betsy Devos by providing the ultimate vote in 2017.
Hegseth thanked Trump for his “confidence,” Vance for casting the tie-breaking vote and the 50 senators who authorised his affirmation in a press release posted to X early Saturday.
“This is for the troops. For the warriors. For our country,” the protection secretary wrote. “America First. Every day. We will never back down.”
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) had wavered in his help for Trump’s nominee within the remaining moments main as much as the vote — however issued an eleventh hour assertion from the ground that Hegseth had his full help after he “conducted … due diligence” on the nom.
Tillis stated he had requested “tough questions of Pete and I appreciated his candor and openness in answering them.” Hegseth shared a full copy of the letter he despatched to the North Carolina Republican’s workplace at about the identical time, which included a rebuttal of spousal abuse allegations from his former sister-in-law.
Hegseth, a retired Military main and fierce critic of “woke” army initiatives, was among the many most controversial of Trump’s cupboard appointments on account of allegations of non-public misconduct — together with sexual assault.
Regardless of the criticism, Trump had stood by Hegseth’s nomination, insisting that an outsider was wanted to shake up the Pentagon.
On Thursday, lawmakers had voted 51-49 to finish debate on Hegseth’s nomination, with Collins and Murkowski voting to dam it — citing the allegations of sexual misconduct as effectively of alcohol abuse by the Trump choose, in addition to his lack of presidency expertise and his previous feedback opposing ladies serving in fight roles.
“I remain concerned about the message that confirming Mr. Hegseth sends to women currently serving and those aspiring to join,” Murkowski stated Thursday.
“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.”
Hegseth has additionally been accused of monetary mismanagement and binge-drinking on the job when he was serving because the chief of the nonprofit advocacy group Involved Veterans for America.
Co-workers have since disputed that characterization of his tenure on the group, whereas fellow troops who deployed with him to fight zones in Iraq and Afghanistan raved about Hegseth’s preventing spirit.
“He breathes the military. That’s all he talks about,” Military Sgt. Maj. Eric Geressy stated in an interview with The Put up. “Pete’s extremely smart. He’s very articulate, he’s a critical thinker, and he’s going to learn from the experts and get a lot of good information from folks.”
“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,” Collins stated in explaining her “no” vote Thursday.
“Pete’s a very, very good man. I hope he makes it,” Trump informed reporters outdoors the White Home Friday morning earlier than the vote. “I used to be very stunned that Collins and Murkowski would do this.
“And of course Mitch is always a ‘no’ vote,” he anticipated.
In his affirmation listening to, Hegseth vowed to “focus on lethality and warfighting” whereas getting ready to “deter and prevent wars” if crucial, aligning himself with Trump’s international coverage agenda.
He additionally informed senators that the president believed it was time to have somebody “with dust on his boots” lead the Protection Division.
However reviews surfaced shortly after Hegseth’s nomination that an unnamed lady had accused Trump’s Pentagon choose of raping her at a Monterey, Calif., resort through the California Federation of Republican Ladies convention in October 2017.
Democrats instantly seized on the alleged sexual assault, together with different accusations from nameless former co-workers and even a leaked e mail from Hegseth’s personal mom, to attempt to tank the affirmation.
On Thursday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) launched Hegseth’s written responses to questions concerning the incident that exposed he paid the girl $50,000 in a settlement. The Monterey County DA by no means introduced prices over the incident.
A lawyer for Trump’s protection nominee has stated the authorized charges to combat the accusation in court docket would have been roughly equal to the settlement cost — and that the then-Fox Information host was successfully blackmailed through the #MeToo motion regardless of the intercourse having been consensual.
“I was falsely accused in October of 2017; it was fully investigated; and I was completely cleared,” Hegseth testified throughout his affirmation listening to, dismissing all “anonymous” accusations.
A contemporaneous police report famous that safety footage reveals the girl didn’t seem intoxicated earlier than the tryst — regardless of her telling authorities that “things got fuzzy” whereas she was ingesting with Hegseth on the resort bar and didn’t keep in mind heading as much as his room.
“They’re not anonymous,” Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) fired again at Hegseth within the listening to earlier this month. “We have seen records with names attached to all of these, including the name of your own mother,” citing an e mail Penelope Hegseth despatched her son distraught over his marital infidelity.
She later apologized to him for sending it — and claimed the New York Instances revealed it with out full context after a reporter “threatened” her.
Hegseth additionally needed to clear one other hurdle after he declared on a podcast Nov. 7: “We should not have women in combat roles.”
He later reversed course and stated in his affirmation listening to: “Women will have access to ground combat roles, given combat standards remain high.”
Hegseth additional promised to to not drink alcohol if he will get confirmed, in an effort to allay considerations about allegations he turned inebriated and needed to be carried out of labor capabilities whereas heading up a veterans advocacy group within the 2010s.
He additionally pledged to reinstate roughly 8,000 service members who have been fired for not receiving COVID-19 vaccinations, saying every “will receive an apology, back pay and rank that they lost.”
Trump caught by his nominee all through the method, praising Hegseth as “a great student” and predicting he would make a “high-energy, Secretary of Defense.”
“Pete is a WINNER, and there is nothing that can be done to change that!!!” the as soon as and future president posted on his Reality Social in December.
Senate Armed Providers Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), who shepherded Hegseth via the affirmation course of, stated in a listening to earlier this month that Trump’s cupboard official could be taking the reins at a “moment of consequence.”
“The United States faces the most dangerous security environment since World War II,”stated Wicker, pointing to an “axis of aggressors” together with “China, Russia, Iran and North Korea.”
Senate Majority Chief John Thune (R-SD) stated Friday that Hegseth additionally “will provide much-needed fresh air at the Pentagon.”
“Mr. Hegseth will concentrate on restoring American strength and repairing the deficiencies in our readiness,” Thune declared in a ground speech.
“As our first president said more than 200 years ago, and I quote, ‘To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace.’ And in a world that has grown increasingly unstable over the past few years, our priority has to be ensuring that the United States military is prepared to meet and defeat any threat,” he stated.
“I will continue to ensure that the Senate works as quickly as possible to get President Trump’s team in place.”
