In a dramatic late-night vote, Pete Hegseth was confirmed as the next defense secretary of the United States, overcoming stiff opposition from the Democrats and even a section of the Republicans.
After the voting in the Senate was tied, Vice President J.D. Vance cast the tie-breaking vote in his role of the president of the Senate. Cabinet nominees typically enjoy wider support, but Hegseth is, perhaps, the most divisive candidate to secure the US military’s top job, thanks largely to allegations of sexual assault and heavy drinking. Former President Joe Biden's defense secretary, Lloyd Austin, was confirmed by a 93-2 vote in 2021, and Jim Mattis, Trump's defense secretary in his last tenure, was confirmed 98-1 in 2017.
The moment it became official: @PeteHegseth is your next Secretary of Defense. Thank you, @JDVance. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/E5noMOGbm3
— Markwayne Mullin (@SenMullin) January 25, 2025
The 44-year-old will join Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe to complete President Donald Trump’s top national security Cabinet officials. Trump's other Cabinet choices include Kash Patel as the FBI director, Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence, and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr, the anti-vaccine advocate, at Health and Human Services.
A former Fox News host and a veteran of the Army National Guard who served tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, Hegseth has vowed to create a “warrior culture” at Pentagon. His win comes amid allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman at a Republican conference in California. He, however, claimed that it was consensual, and later paid her USD 50,000.
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Hegseth’s former sister-in-law had alleged that he was abusive to his second wife. Again, he denied the allegation and, interestingly, the woman too did not claim any domestic abuse in their divorce proceedings.
A Princeton and Harvard graduate, Hegseth hosted a weekend show on Fox News, and is considered an outsider at the Capitol Hill. Hegseth had earlier kicked off a row saying that women should have no role in military combat. Though he has mellowed down since, his views were amplified by Senate Majority Leader John Thune while opening Friday's session. “Gone will be the days of woke distractions. The Pentagon's focus will be on war fighting,” Thune said.
Dismissing accusations of being an excessive drinker, Hegseth promised to abstain from drinking if he was confirmed for the top job.
