WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� The Senate confirmed as the nation's defense secretary late Friday in a dramatic tie-breaking vote, swatting back questions about his qualifications to lead the Pentagon amid toward women.
Rarely has a Cabinet nominee faced such wide-ranging concerns about his experience and behavior as Hegseth, particularly for such a high-profile role atop the U.S. military. But the Republican-led Senate was determined to confirm Hegseth, a former Fox News host and combat veteran who has vowed to bring a 鈥渨arrior culture,鈥� rounding out President top national security Cabinet officials.
Vice President JD Vance arrived to break the 50-50 tie, highly unusual for Cabinet nominees and particularly defense secretaries, who typically win wider bipartisan support. Hegseth himself was at the Capitol with his family.
鈥淲e have a great secretary of defense and we鈥檙e very happy,鈥� Trump said as he boarded Air Force One after surveying fire devastation in California.
Trump said he didn鈥檛 care about the dissent from Sen. Mitch McConnell, the influential former Republican leader 鈥� who joined two other Republicans, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, in voting against Hegseth 鈥� because the 鈥渋mportant thing is winning."
The Senate's ability to confirm Hegseth despite a grave series of allegations against him provides a measure of Trump's political power and ability to , and of the potency of the culture wars to fuel his agenda at the White House.
Only once before has the vice president had to break a tie on a Cabinet nominee 鈥� during Trump's first term, when Vice President Mike Pence to confirm Betsy DeVos as education secretary.
Next week senators will be facing Trump's other including particularly Kash Patel, a Trump ally who has published an enemies list, as the FBI director; Tulsi Gabbard as director of the office of national intelligence; and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the anti-vaccine advocate, at Health and Human Services.
鈥淚s Pete Hegseth truly the best we have to offer?鈥� said Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, urging his colleagues to think seriously about their vote. All Democrats opposed the nominee.
But Senate Majority Leader said Hegseth, as a veteran of the Army National Guard who served tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, 鈥渨ill bring a warrior鈥檚 perspective鈥� to the top military job.
鈥淕one will be the days of woke distractions,鈥� Thune said, referring to the diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives being slashed across the federal government. 鈥淭he Pentagon鈥檚 focus will be on war fighting.鈥�
Hegseth himself was working the phones late Friday to shore up his support, his confirmation at stake.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a good man," Trump said of Hegseth while departing the White House to visit disaster-hit North Carolina and Los Angeles. "I hope he makes it.鈥�
The uncertainty sent tensions soaring late Friday at the Capitol. It takes a simple majority to confirm nominees, and Republicans, with a 53-47 majority in the Senate, could only lose one more objection after Murkowski and Collins already announced they would vote no.
McConnell had signaled skepticism in an earlier speech when he declared he would confirm nominees to senior national security roles 鈥渨hose record and experience will make them immediate assets, not liabilities.鈥�
One Republican, Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, sent the Senate swirling as he raised fresh questions and was provided information and answers.
But Tillis ultimately voted to confirm Hegseth, who he said 鈥渉as a unique perspective鈥� and is passionate about modernizing the military. He said he spoke to Hegseth for 鈥渘early two hours鈥� about his concerns.
In contrast, McConnell said after the vote said Hegseth 鈥渄id not reckon鈥� with the reality of job, noting that the nominee's 鈥渕ere desire to be a 鈥榗hange agent鈥� is not enough.鈥�
Democrats, as the minority party, have helped confirm Secretary of State and CIA Director in bipartisan votes to Trump's national security team.
But Democrats gravely opposed to Hegseth had little power to stop him, and instead resorted to dragging out the process. Hours before the vote, Democrats took to the Senate floor to object.
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said there were few Trump nominees as 鈥渄angerously and woefully unqualified as Hegseth.鈥�
Hegseth faced at a Republican conference in California, though he has denied the claims and said the encounter was consensual. He later .
More recently, Hegseth's former sister-in-law that he was abusive to his second wife to the point that she feared for her safety. Hegseth has denied the allegation, and in divorce proceedings, neither Hegseth nor the woman claimed to be a victim of domestic abuse.
During a hearing, Hegseth dismissed allegations of wrongdoing one by one, and vowed to bring 鈥渨arrior culture鈥� to the top Pentagon post.
Hegseth has promised not to drink on the job if confirmed.
Republican senators facing an intensive pressure campaign by Trump allies to support Hegseth stood by his nomination, echoing his claims of a 鈥渟mear鈥� campaign against him.
A Princeton and Harvard graduate, Hegseth represents a newer generation of veterans who came of age in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. He went on to a career at Fox News as the host of a weekend show, and was unknown to many on Capitol Hill until Trump tapped him for the top Defense job.
Hegseth's comments that women should have no role in military combat drew particular concern, including from lawmakers who themselves served. He has since tempered those views as he met with senators during the confirmation process.
Murkowski said in a lengthy statement ahead of a test vote on Hegseth that his behaviors 鈥渟tarkly contrast鈥� with what is expected of the military.
鈥淚 remain concerned about the message that confirming Mr. Hegseth sends to women currently serving and those aspiring to join,鈥� Murkowski wrote on social media.
Collins said that after a lengthy discussion with Hegseth, 鈥淚 am not convinced that his position on women serving in combat roles has changed.鈥�
But one prominent Republican, Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, herself a veteran and sexual assault survivor, came under harsh criticism for her skepticism toward Hegseth and eventually announced she would back him.
Hegseth would lead an organization with nearly 2.1 million service members, about 780,000 civilians and a budget of $850 billion.
In exercising its advise and consent role over Trump鈥檚 nominees, the Senate is also trying to stave off his suggestion that the GOP leaders simply do away with the confirmation process altogether, and allow him to appoint his Cabinet choices when the Congress is on recess.
Trump raised the idea of so-called 鈥渞ecess appointments鈥� during a private White House meeting with Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson, a step many senators are trying to avoid.
___
Associated Press writer Will Weissert in Los Angeles and Chris Megerian in Washington contributed to this report.
Lisa Mascaro, Mary Clare Jalonick And Farnoush Amiri, The Associated Press
