The confirmation vote results for Pete Hegseth, nominated by President Trump for the position of Secretary of Defense, were announced late Friday night following a protracted and contentious process. All 47 Democratic senators, along with three Republicans—Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Mitch McConnell (R-KY)—voted against Hegseth, citing a range of unverified allegations against him. This situation necessitated Vice President J.D. Vance, who was seen entering the Capitol Building late that evening, to cast the tie-breaking vote.
Vance inquired if any senators wished to alter their votes, but none did. He then stated, “If not, on this vote, the yea’s are 50 and the nay’s are 50. The Senate being equally divided, the vice president votes in the affirmative, and the nomination is confirmed,” thereby making Hegseth the 29th Secretary of Defense of the United States. Following the official confirmation, Senate Republicans erupted in applause.
This vote concluded a lengthy and often uncertain confirmation process, during which Hegseth faced relentless scrutiny from mainstream media and Senate Democrats regarding unsubstantiated claims. One notable allegation involved an unnamed woman who accused Hegseth of sexual assault during a conservative conference. The accuser, whose identity remains confidential, alleged that Hegseth raped her in 2017 at a Republican women’s conference held in a hotel in Monterey, California. She claimed the incident occurred after conference organizers visited the hotel bar following an after-party.
However, a police report raises significant doubts about the accusation, as multiple eyewitness accounts and surveillance footage indicate that the two engaged in a consensual sexual encounter. The accuser is married, and the report suggests that the allegation may have been made to conceal infidelity from her husband, who was present at the hotel during the alleged incident.
A distinct report from NBC News, which cited several unnamed sources from Fox News, alleged that Hegseth faced challenges with alcohol consumption during his tenure at the network. The report, lacking substantiation, asserted that Hegseth frequently arrived at work with the scent of alcohol, thereby fostering an unsafe work atmosphere for his colleagues. This assertion has been categorically dismissed by numerous Fox News staff members, many of whom labeled the report as “utter nonsense.”
Although all accusations against Hegseth have either been convincingly refuted or made without supporting evidence, he faced significant criticism from several Senate Democrats during his confirmation hearing earlier this month. In a passionate defense of his integrity, Hegseth characterized the allegations as a “smear campaign” in his opening remarks.
“The media in America today, unfortunately, seems indifferent to the truth. Their sole objective, Mr. Chairman, is to undermine me. And why do they wish to undermine me? Because I am a change agent and pose a threat to them, as Donald Trump chose me to empower and restore the Defense Department to its rightful focus on warfare,” Hegseth stated to U.S. Senate Armed Services Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS).
Hegseth’s confirmation hearing appeared to be quite successful, as several senators who had previously indicated opposition to his nomination later expressed their support. This included Senators Joni Ernst (R-IA) and John Curtis (R-UT).
However, three Republicans remained opposed. Lisa Murkowski, who had supported President Biden’s most controversial nominees, stated that she could not back Hegseth due to the unverified allegations. She also questioned Hegseth’s qualifications, suggesting that he lacked the requisite experience to lead the Department of Defense, despite his multiple deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Murkowski’s views were shared by Senator Susan Collins, while former Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell also expressed reservations.
