Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s choice to be Defense secretary.
Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post/Getty Images
Pete Hegseth’s nomination to be secretary of Defense in Donald Trump’s new administration had been mired in controversy since he was first named, but he was still narrowly confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Friday night. The former Fox & Friends co-host had been dogged by reports of excessive drinking, financial mismanagement, and an allegation of sexual assault, all claims that Hegseth has denounced as “anonymous smears.” But Hegseth glided through his confirmation hearing bolstered by praise from the Republicans whose votes he’d been courting. Additional reports on Hegseth’s behavior from members of his own family emerged, but did not sway enough GOP senators to make a difference.
Three Republican senators, Mitch McConnell, Susan Collins, and Lisa Murkowski, joined Democrats to vote against Hegseth on Friday night, forcing Vice President J.D. Vance to cast the tiebreaking vote. He was then confirmed 51-50. It was only the second time ever that a vice president had to cast a tie-breaking vote to confirm a cabinet nominee, and the narrowest margin ever for a Defense Secretary.
It wasn’t clear, ahead of the vote, whether or not North Carolina Republican Thom Tillis would support Hegseth, particularly after he sent additional questions to the nominee in the day before the vote. But Tillis ultimately did stick by Hegseth:
Hegseth had himself arrived at the U.S. Senate, with his family in tow, ahead of the Friday night vote — which was unusual.
McConnell, for his part, said it was Hegseth’s answers regarding foreign aggression that lost his vote.
On Tuesday, NBC News reported that the Senate had received a sworn affidavit from Danielle Hegseth, his former sister-in-law, detailing new allegations of Hegseth’s troubling behavior. Rhode Island senator Jack Reed, the ranking member on the Senate Armed Services Committee, confirmed in a statement that the affidavit was received and that it spoke of incidents of “alcohol abuse, threatening and abusive behavior toward his second wife, and repeated patterns of offensive public misconduct.” Though he did not mention Danielle Hegseth by name, Reed said that she was interviewed by the FBI in December and that her testimony was not included in the final background check provided to the committee by the Trump transition team.
“As I have said for months, the reports of Mr. Hegseth’s history of alleged sexual assault, alcohol abuse, and public misconduct necessitate an exhaustive background investigation. I have been concerned that the background check process has been inadequate, and this affidavit confirms that fact,” Reed said.
The affidavit alleges that Hegseth abused alcohol regularly and was often so drunk that he “passed out, threw up, and had to be carried out of family events and public settings, sometimes shouting sexually and racially offensive statements.” It also claims that Hegseth engaged in threatening behavior toward his second wife, Samantha Hegseth, to the point that she devised an escape plan that involved texting a safe word to friends and family in case she needed assistance. NBC News notes that Samantha Hegseth denied that there was any physical abuse in her marriage in a statement to the outlet.
CNN reported Wednesday that Samantha Hegseth had recently provided a new statement to the FBI following her ex-husband’s confirmation hearing. According to a source familiar, she reportedly told the agency about Hegseth’s alcohol use, “He drinks more often than he doesn’t.”
Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa, a combat veteran who was seen as a pivotal vote, indicated that her support for Hegseth hadn’t wavered in light of the latest allegations. “His ex-wife has denied it. So it really doesn’t go very far,” she said, per HuffPost. “It carries no weight.”
On Thursday, the Senate voted to advance Hegseth’s nomination, giving a preview of final vote that will held on Friday. With Republicans holding on to a slim margin of control in the chamber, they can only afford to lose three votes if all the Democrats oppose Hegseth. Only two senators opposed advancing Hegseth’s nomination: Collins and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.
Murkowski told CNN Thursday that she had “concerns” with his nomination. Hours later, she was out with a statement confirming that she will vote against Hegseth. “The leader of the Department of Defense must demonstrate and model the standards of behavior and character we expect of all servicemembers, and Mr. Hegseth’s nomination to the role poses significant concerns that I cannot overlook,” she said.
After showing some hesitancy, Maine senator Susan Collins ultimately voted against moving forward with Hegseth’s nomination Thursday. “While I appreciate his courageous military service and his ongoing commitment to our servicemembers and their families, I am concerned that he does not have the experience and perspective necessary to succeed in the job,” she said in a statement.
Kentucky senator Mitch McConnell had remained tight-lipped on whether he’ll back Trump’s nominee. The former Republican Senate leader voted to advance Hegseth’s nomination. Two previous hold-outs, Senators Todd Young of Indiana and John Curtis of Utah, indicated their plans to vote for Hegseth, making his confirmation increasingly likely.
Though Senate Republicans appeared to have the votes, Trump seemed to express some uncertainty about Hegseth’s chances Friday morning. “Whatever it is, it is. He’s a good man. I don’t know what’s going to happen. You never know with those things. Pete’s a very good man. I hope he makes it. I hope he makes it,” he said, per the Washington Post.
