Donald Trump prevailed on Friday night as ex-Fox News host Pete Hegseth was confirmed as the new Secretary of Defense by a razor thin majority after Vice President JD Vance cast a tie-breaking vote.
All Senate Democrats voted against him; they were joined by three Republicans — Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and, surprisingly, Mitch McConnell. The 51-50 vote is the narrowest margin of victory for a Defense Secretary of all time; the position was created in 1947.
Hegseth’s nomination faced stiff opposition due to numerous accusations of misconduct. He was accused of physically abusing his ex-wife by his former sister-in-law, and he admitted when questioned by Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren that in 2017, he paid $50,000 to a woman who accused him of sexual assault. He was also accused of frequently on-the-job drinking and general alcohol abuse.
For his part, Hegseth has denied the most serious accusations and sought to cast himself as the main character in a story of personal redemption, defiantly declaring during his confirmation hearing, “I’m not a perfect person but redemption is real.”
Nevertheless, apparently on Trump’s orders, Hegseth was not subjected to the kind of strenuous background check usually applied to cabinet appointees.
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