The U.S. Senate voted to confirm Pete Hegseth for the role of secretary of defense Friday evening, Jan. 24. Hegseth’s confirmation comes after numerous controversies emerged following his nomination.
Vice President JD Vance cast the tiebreaking vote after a 50-50 split, with three Republican senators –– Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska – voting against Hegseth’s confirmation.
Hegseth most recently worked as a political commentator and host at Fox News after serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he received two Bronze Stars.
He has pledged to implement President Donald Trump’s proposals to eliminate diversity and alleged wokeness in the military.
But Hegseth faced controversy over his management of two veteran-focused political advocacy groups, as well as evidence alleging alcoholism and sexual misconduct.
The Minnesota native graduated from Princeton University in 2003, followed by more than a decade in the Army.
Hegseth ran an unsuccessful Senate campaign in Minnesota in 2012. He was also reportedly someone Trump considered to run the Department of Veterans Affairs during his first term.
Hegseth received some key support for his nomination, including from Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa. The senator backed Hegseth after originally expressing skepticism over his sexual assault allegations.
In 2017, a California Republican staffer told police that Hegseth sexually assaulted her and that she remembered repeatedly telling him no. Hegseth said he had sex with the woman and that it was consensual.
The Monterey County district attorney did not file charges. However, Hegseth paid the woman $50,000 as part of a 2020 settlement involving a non-disclosure agreement.
Reporting this week suggested more potential sexual misconduct, with outlets including NBC News and The Washington Post reporting that Hegseth’s former sister-in-law said he would get aggressively drunk, spout racist remarks and abuse his second wife.
The sister-in-law submitted a sworn affidavit this week to senators detailing the misconduct. The New York Times also reported that his second wife is under a non-disparagement clause from her ex-husband as part of their 2018 divorce agreement.
Before the final vote, Hegseth’s nomination advanced to the floor in a 51-49 vote, with Collins and Murkowski voting against.
McConnell was the only Republican to vote to advance the nomination but against the final confirmation.
