CNN
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In a major win for President Donald Trump and his new administration, the Senate has voted to confirm embattled Pat Hegseth as secretary of the Department of Defense.
Vice President JD Vance cast the 51-50 tie-breaking vote behind former GOP Leader Mitch McConnell and GOP Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine joined Democrats in opposing Hegseth’s nomination.
It’s only the second time in history that a vice president has broken a tie for a Cabinet nominee — the other being then-Vice President Mike Pence to confirm Betsy DeVos to lead the Department of Education in 2017.
Hegseth’s confirmation process has been marred by allegations of sexual abuse, alcoholism and financial mismanagement of veterans’ charities, which he has denied. Friday’s vote marked a significant victory for the Trump administration, which went to the mat endorsing Hegseth as its nominee, despite his lack of experience and the allegations against him.
Hegseth was in the Senate Friday night to watch his confirmation vote.
As secretary, he has vowed to overhaul the department, particularly policies he considers “woke” and streamline its bureaucracy. Speaking during his confirmation hearing, Hegseth told lawmakers he would like to restore a “warrior culture” at the Pentagon.
McConnell echoed this phrase shortly after voting against Hegseth’s nomination, charging that “the restoration of ‘warrior culture’ will not come from trading one set of culture warriors for another.”
“In all respects, brave young men and women join the military with the understanding that it is a meritocracy. This valuable trust can only last as long as legitimate civilian leadership upholds what the service deserves. There has to be a firewall between members and politics,” McConnell said. “The Biden administration failed in this fundamental task. But restoring ‘warrior culture’ will not come from trading one set of culture warriors for another.
While Senate GOP leaders were unsure how McConnell and Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina would vote as of Friday afternoon, Tillis ultimately voted in favor of the nomination.
With their slim majority, Republicans could only afford to lose three Republican votes and still confirm Hegseth with a tie-breaking vote by Vance, and Hegseth had been tied to senators since his confirmation. but came
“There have been a lot of conversations between the secretary nominee and a lot of the senators,” senior adviser Eric Ueland told CNN before the vote.
The nominee had faced criticism within days of his confirmation.
Murkowski and Collins released statements Thursday criticizing Hegseth, after they announced their opposition to his nomination. Murkowski later told CNN that Hegseth “lacks the strength of character” needed to lead the Defense Department.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer slammed Higseth on Friday morning, calling him “one of the most misguided, incompetent and incompetent cabinet nominees we’ve seen in modern times” and warned that His confirmation would put “the credibility of the Republican majority” at risk.
“He has neither the character, nor the experience nor the judgment required for the job,” the New York Democrat added.
CNN’s Kit Maher contributed to this report.
