CNN
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The Senate narrowly voted to confirm embattled Pete Hegseth as secretary of the Department of Defense, in a big victory for President Donald Trump and his new administration.
Vice President JD Vance cast the 51-50 vote that was the birthright after former GOP leader Mitch McConnell and GOP Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine joined Democrats in opposing Hegseth’s nomination. This was only the second time in history that a vice president broke for a Cabinet nominee – the other being then-President Mike Pence for Betsy DeVos’ confirmation in 2017 to lead the department of education.
Hegseth will be sworn in as defense secretary Saturday morning by the vice president at the White House, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Hegseth’s confirmation process was mired in allegations of sexual assault, alcohol abuse and financial mismanagement of veterans’ charities, all of which he has denied. Friday’s vote marked a significant victory for the Trump administration, which went all out supporting Hegseth as a candidate, despite his lack of experience and allegations against him.
Trump told reporters Friday evening that he called Hegseth from Marine One. Hegseth, who had been on the Senate floor Friday night monitoring his confirmation vote, would be “a great secretary,” the president said.
“We just heard we have a great secretary of defense — we’re very happy about that, we appreciate everyone’s vote,” Trump told reporters during an early celebration as Vance was en route to the senate.
As secretary, Hegseth vowed to overhaul the department, particularly policies he considered “woke” and streamline its bureaucracy. Speaking during his confirmation hearing, Hegseth told lawmakers he would like to restore a “warrior culture” to the Pentagon.
McConnell echoed the phrase in a searing statement shortly after voting against Hegseth’s nomination, charging that “restoring ‘warrior culture’ will not come from trading a set of culture warriors for a other.”
“By all accounts, brave young men and women join the military understanding that it is a meritocracy. This valuable trust lasts only as long as legal civilian leadership upholds what must be a firewall between the military and politics,” McConnell said. “The Biden administration has failed at this fundamental task. But restoring “warrior culture” will not come from trading one set of culture warriors for another. »
While Senate GOP leaders had been uncertain about how McConnell and Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina would vote Friday afternoon, Tillis ultimately voted in favor of the nomination.
With their slim majority, Republicans could not afford to lose three GOP votes and confirm the defense secretary with a game-changing vote by Vance. Hegseth had been engaged with senators as his confirmation came down to the wire, according to senior adviser Eric Ueland.
“There were a lot of conversations between the secretary-designate and a lot of senators,” Ueland told CNN before the vote.
Tillis sad, he spoke with Hegseth for “nearly 2 hours” Friday, before the senator announced he would support his nomination.
The candidate had been criticized in the days leading up to his confirmation.
Murkowski and Collins released statements criticizing Hegseth on Thursday, after announcing their opposition to her nomination. Murkowski later told CNN that Hegseth “lacks that strength of character” needed to lead the Defense Department.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized Hegseth Friday morning, calling him “one of the most erratic, unqualified and unsuitable cabinet nominees we’ve ever seen in modern times” and warning that his confirmation would endanger the “credibility of the Republican majority”.
“He has neither the character, the experience nor the judgment required for the job,” added the New York Democrat.
This story has been updated with additional details.
CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, Kit Maher and Donald Judd contributed to this report.
