WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate advanced the nomination of Pete Hegseth to be President Donald Trump’s defense secretary on Thursday in a mostly party-line vote, despite grave objections from Democrats and despite robust concerns among Republicans about his conduct and qualifications to lead the US -Military.
Two Republicans, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, broke with Trump and his allies, who had launched an extensive public campaign to push Hegseth for confirmation. The former combat veteran and Fox News host has been accused of excessive alcohol consumption and aggressive actions toward women, which he has denied. The vote was 51-49, with the final confirmation vote expected on Friday.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer implored his colleagues to think seriously: “Is this the best man we have to lead the greatest military in the world?”
Murkowksi said in a lengthy statement that his behavior was “in stark contrast” to what is expected of the military.
“I remain concerned about the message that Mr. Hegseth’s confirmation sends to the women currently serving in office and those who seek it,” Murkowski wrote on social media.
Both Murkowski and Collins noted Hegseth’s previous comments that women should not take on military combat roles. He tried to temper those statements during the confirmation process.
Collins said after a lengthy discussion with Hegseth, “I’m not convinced his position on women in combat roles has changed.”
Collins said that while she appreciated Hegseth’s “courageous military service and his continued commitment to our service members and their families, I am concerned that he does not have the experience and perspective necessary to succeed in this job.”
Rarely has a cabinet decision been met with such vociferous allegations of misconduct. The result is a measure of Trump’s power and a test for the Senate as it takes into account the other outsiders in the president’s Cabinet, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at Health and Human Services, Kash Patel at the FBI and Tulsi Gabbard as director of the office of National Intelligence.
Republican senators and some Democrats appear ready to give the president his team. Only Matt Gaetz, the former congressman Trump originally picked for attorney general, faced enough opposition that his nomination was withdrawn.
The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee has rejected the allegations against Hegseth as factually incorrect.
It takes a straightforward majority of senators to confirm Hegseth’s nomination. Most Republicans, who hold a 53-seat majority in the chamber, have signaled they will support the nominee, although Vice President JD Vance could be brought in to break a tie.
“I firmly believe that the nominee, Mr. Hegseth, is ready to become the next Secretary of Defense,” the chairman, Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., said in a statement on the eve of the vote. “The Senate must confirm this nominee as quickly as possible.”
A novel president’s national security nominees are often first in line for confirmation to ensure U.S. security at home and abroad. The Senate has already overwhelmingly confirmed Marco Rubio as secretary of state in a unanimous vote and confirmed John Ratcliffe as CIA director on Thursday.
But Hegseth is in a category of his own: He is said to have sexually assaulted a woman at a Republican conference in California, which he has denied was a consensual encounter, and he is said to have drunk heavily at events when he led a veterans organization.
AP reported Thursday that Hegseth paid $50,000 to the woman who accused him of sexual assault in 2017, according to answers he gave to a senator during his confirmation process.
Separately, a novel allegation emerged this week in an affidavit from a former sister-in-law who alleged that Hegseth so mistreated his second wife that she feared for her safety. Hegseth has denied the accusation. During the divorce proceedings, neither Hegseth nor the woman stated that they had been victims of domestic violence.
Schumer said Thursday that Hegseth is not qualified for the job.
“One of the kindest words you could use to describe Mr. Hegseth is unpredictable, and that is a term they don’t want at the Department of Defense,” Schumer said. “He clearly has a judgment problem.”
Hegseth, a Princeton and Harvard-educated military veteran, went on to a career at Fox News, where he hosted a weekend show. Trump appointed him defense secretary to lead an organization with nearly 2.1 million military personnel, about 780,000 civilians and a budget of $850 billion.
During a heated confirmation hearing, Hegseth refuted allegations of misconduct one by one, dismissing them as “smears” as he flaunted his military credentials and vowed to bring “warrior culture” to the Pentagon’s top job.
Hegseth has promised not to drink at work if confirmed.
Wicker said he was informed a third time about the FBI’s background investigation into Hegseth. He said: “The allegations which unfairly impugn his character do not stand up to scrutiny.”
But senators continued to question his experience and abilities, as well as alleged conduct that could lead to reprimand or dismissal of the military personnel he was now expected to lead.
Still, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, herself a combat veteran and sexual assault survivor, has signaled her support.
