Hegseth survives Senate nail-biter as Vance breaks 50-50 tie
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Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth attends the Vice Presidential Dinner at the National Gallery of Art on Jan. 18, 2025. Photo by Eric Thayer/Getty Images
Pete Hegseth was narrowly confirmed as President Trump's Defense secretary after Vice President JD Vance cast a tie-breaking vote.
Why it matters: Hegseth survived a bruising confirmation battle that was nearly derailed by accusations of sexual assault and other forms of misconduct.
- The Senate voted 51-50 late Friday to confirm Hegseth, who has denied the allegations against him.
- Former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) voted no along with GOP Sens. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Susan Collins (Maine).
- It was only the second time in U.S. history that a vice president cast a tie-breaking vote to confirm a Cabinet nominee.
The intrigue: The final hours before the vote were full of uncertainty, as some worried that McConnell and Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.)would sink the nomination.
- Tillis ultimately voted yes.
The big picture: Despite early uncertainty, Republicans largely rallied around Hegseth. The Armed Services Committee recommended his nomination Monday via a nail-biter 14-13 vote.|
- Thursday, the AP reported that the nominee paid $50,000 to a woman who accused him of sexual assault in 2017.
- It came shortly after Congress was provided a sworn affidavit from Hegseth's former sister-in-law who said the defense secretary nominee's ex-wife feared for her safety.
Between the lines: It's not the first time McConnell has been at odds with Trump, but it's his first big move outside of leadership.
- McConnell's tangle with Hegseth is far from over, as he chairs the Defense Appropriations subcommittee.
- McConnell has been clear he intends to push back on isolationism in the GOP.
What he's saying: "Mere desire to be a 'change agent' is not enough to fill these shoes," McConnell said in a lengthy statement after his vote. "And 'dust on boots' fails even to distinguish this nominee from multiple predecessors of the last decade. Nor is it a precondition for success."
- "The United States faces coordinated aggression from adversaries bent on shattering the order underpinning American security and prosperity," McConnell continued, saying that throughout the confirmation process, "Mr. Hegseth did not reckon with this reality."
- McConnell also said that Hegseth "wouldn't even commit to growing America's defense investment beyond the low bar set by the Biden Administration's budget requests."
- Bolstering defense spending is a top issue for McConnell.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.
