Pete Hegseth has officially taken office as the U.S. Secretary of Defense following a narrow Senate confirmation. Vice President JD Vance cast the decisive vote in Hegseth’s favor on Friday night after three Republican senators, including former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, opposed his nomination.
During his confirmation hearing, Hegseth faced scrutiny over allegations of sexual assault—claims he has denied—as well as accusations of infidelity and excessive drinking.
As President Trump’s newly appointed defense secretary, Hegseth, a former combat veteran and Fox News television host, will oversee a department comprising approximately three million personnel and managing an $849 billion (£695 billion) budget.
Four Republican defections would have been required to block Hegseth’s nomination, with 47 Democratic and independent senators already opposed. McConnell’s unexpected vote against him resulted in a 50-50 split, leaving Vance to break the tie.
Explaining his opposition, McConnell issued a strong statement criticizing Hegseth’s qualifications, stating that he lacked the preparedness to manage such a vast department, oversee its substantial budget, and coordinate with international allies.
“The role of defense secretary is a daily test with immense consequences for national security,” McConnell said. “Mr. Hegseth has not yet demonstrated that he is capable of passing this test.”
With Hegseth’s confirmation, Vance becomes only the second vice president in U.S. history to break a tie for a cabinet nominee. The first was Trump’s previous vice president, Mike Pence, who cast the deciding vote to confirm Betsy DeVos as education secretary in 2017.
At his swearing-in ceremony on Saturday, Hegseth joked that his children told him he had “won in overtime” and expressed gratitude to the vice president for his support. Vance, in turn, thanked President Trump for nominating someone “respected by the warfighters.”
“I also want to say thank you to my Senate colleagues. It turns out we couldn’t spare one,” Vance remarked.
Earlier this month, during his confirmation hearing, Hegseth outlined his priorities: “Warfighting, lethality, meritocracy, standards, and readiness. That’s it. That is my job.”
Pete Hegseth (Photo: Getty Images)Democratic senators challenged Hegseth on his qualifications to lead one of the country’s largest federal agencies. However, many Republicans, including Trump, stood firmly behind him.
Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi, chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, defended Hegseth and voted in his favor.
“Pete Hegseth is ready to advance President Trump’s agenda.
He has convinced me that he will be a reformer in the Department of Defense and is the right person for the job,” Wicker stated. “He’s the president’s pick, and unless he is unqualified, we owe it to the commander-in-chief to confirm him.”
At 44, Hegseth is a veteran of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and later became a Fox News contributor. However, his background lacks the conventional experience typically associated with high-level national security positions, which are usually filled by senior officials, experienced politicians, generals, or industry leaders.
During the hearing, female senators questioned Hegseth over his past remarks suggesting women should not serve in combat roles. He clarified that his concern was not about women serving, but rather about maintaining military standards.
His confirmation process was marred by allegations of misconduct. He was accused of sexually assaulting an unnamed woman in a Monterey, California, hotel room in 2017—a claim he has consistently denied.
Additional allegations against Hegseth included reports of heavy drinking, even at official events, and infidelity in his previous two marriages. “I am not a perfect person, but redemption is real,” he said in response to the accusations during the hearing.
Further controversy arose earlier in the week when Hegseth’s former sister-in-law provided a sworn affidavit to a congressional committee, accusing him of alcohol abuse and spousal mistreatment. Hegseth’s attorney has dismissed these claims.
For some Republicans, these allegations influenced their vote. Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who voted against confirmation, released a statement saying his past behavior “demonstrates a lack of judgment that is unbecoming of someone who would lead our armed forces.”
Senator Susan Collins of Maine, another Republican who opposed Hegseth, expressed concerns about his qualifications, stating, “I am concerned that he does not have the experience and perspective necessary to succeed in the job.”