President Donald Trump’s defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth was confirmed Friday, ending one of the most contentious and vital confirmation battles of Trump’s early administration.
He was confirmed thanks to a tie-breaking vote by Vice President JD Vance, who noted, with laughing-crying emjoi in a X post, “I thought I was done voting in the senate”.
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. He has passionately advocated for the end of woke-ness in the military.
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
“Mr. Hegseth’s prior roles in his career do not demonstrate to me that he is prepared for such immense responsibility,” wrote Murkowski.
Sen. Thom Tillis announced his support for Hegseth’s nomination in an X post Friday evening.
“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,” wrote Tillis, adding 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.
“I will support his confirmation and look forward to working with him to rebuild our military and advance President Trump’s peace through strength agenda.”
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.”
This is a breaking news article and it may be updated.
This article was originally published at www.dailysignal.com
