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The U.S. Senate confirmed Pete Hegseth as the nation’s defense secretary late Friday in a dramatic tie-breaking vote amid debates about his qualifications to lead the Pentagon due to allegations of heavy drinking and aggressive behavior toward women, AP reports.
The Republican-led Senate was determined to confirm Hegseth, a former Fox News host and combat veteran who has vowed to bring a “warrior culture.”
Vice President JD Vance arrived to break the 50-50 tie, highly unusual for Cabinet nominees and particularly defense secretaries, who typically win wider bipartisan support, according to AP.
“We have a great secretary of defense and we’re very happy,” President Trump said as he boarded Air Force One after surveying fire devastation in California.
Trump said he didn’t care about the dissent from Sen. Mitch McConnell, the influential former Republican leader — who joined two other Republicans, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, in voting against Hegseth — because the “important thing is winning.”