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Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s nominee for US defense secretary, was confirmed by the Senate late Friday night after facing allegations of misconduct that nearly derailed his confirmation.
Vice President JD Vance cast the tie-breaking vote in favor of Hegseth, after three Republican senators, including former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, voted against him.
During Hegseth’s confirmation hearing, he faced multiple questions about an accusation of sexual assaultsomething he has denied, as well as infidelity and drinking.
The former combat veteran and former Fox News television presenter will oversee a department of around three million employees and a budget of $849bn (£695bn).
Four Republicans would be needed to join the 47 Democratic and independent senators who voted against Hegseth for his nomination to be defeated.
McConnell’s surprise vote left the Senate deadlocked 50-50 before Vance arrived to decide the tiebreaker.
Vance is only the second vice president in U.S. history to break a tie to confirm a Cabinet nominee. Trump’s former vice president, Mike Pence, became the first when he broke the tie to confirm Betsy DeVos as secretary of education in 2017.
“Warfare, lethality, meritocracy, standards and readiness. That’s it. That’s my job,” Hegseth said during his confirmation hearing earlier this month.
Democratic senators grilled Hegseth, a military veteran, about his qualifications to lead one of the nation’s largest agencies.
Hegseth, 44, a veteran of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, later worked at Fox. He has little of the traditional experience expected for a national security Cabinet position, a role typically filled by top officials, seasoned politicians, generals and high-level executives.
Hegseth was also asked during the hearing, particularly by female senators, about her previous comments that women should not serve in combat roles. She responded that her concern was not about women serving in combat, but about maintaining a certain standard in the U.S. military.
His confirmation process was overshadowed by allegations of misconduct. He was accused of sexually assaulting an unnamed woman in 2017 in a Monterey, California, hotel room. He has denied the accusation repeatedly.
The newly confirmed defense secretary also faced accusations of excessive alcohol consumption, including at work events, and infidelity in his two previous marriages.
“I’m not a perfect person, but redemption is real,” he said during the hearing.
Earlier this week, he was accused of alcohol and spousal abuse in an affidavit filed before a congressional committee by his former sister-in-law. Hegseth’s attorney denied the allegations.
But many Republicans, including Trump, have maintained their support for Hegseth.
For Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a Republican who voted against confirmation on Friday, past allegations helped sway her vote.
In a statement released days before the vote, he said his past behavior “demonstrates a lack of judgment unbecoming of someone who would lead our armed forces.”
Meanwhile, Maine Sen. Susan Collins, another Republican who voted against Hegseth, said she was “concerned that he does not have the experience and perspective necessary to succeed in the job.”
