Senate confirms Pete Hegseth as Trump’s Defence Secretary in tie-breaking vote amid turmoil over his conduct

Senate confirms controversial Pete Hegseth as defense secretary amid allegations, GOP support, and concerns over qualifications and behavior.

The Senate confirmed Pete Hegseth as the nation’s Defence Secretary on Friday (January 24, 2025) in a dramatic late-night vote, swatting back questions about his qualifications to lead the Pentagon amid allegations of heavy drinking and aggressive behavior toward women.

Rarely has a Cabinet nominee faced such wide-ranging concerns about his experience and behavior as Mr. Hegseth, particularly for such a high-profile role atop the U.S. military. But the Republican-led Senate was determined to confirm Mr. Hegseth, a former Fox News host and combat veteran who has vowed to bring a “warrior culture” to the Pentagon, rounding out President Donald Trump’s top national security Cabinet officials.

Vice President JD Vance was on hand to cast a tie-breaking vote, unusual in the Senate for Cabinet nominees, who typically win wider support. Mr. Hegseth himself was at the Capitol with his family.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Mr. Hegseth, as a veteran of the Army National Guard who served tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, “will bring a warrior's perspective" to the top military job.

“Gone will be the days of woke distractions,” Mr. Thune said, referring to the diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives being slashed across the federal government. “The Pentagon's focus will be on war fighting.”

The Senate’s ability to confirm Mr. Hegseth despite a grave series of allegations against him will provide a measure of Mr. Trump’s political power and ability to get what he wants from the GOP-led Congress, and of the potency of the culture wars to fuel his agenda at the White House.

Next week senators will be facing Mr. Trump’s other outside Cabinet choices including particularly Kash Patel, a Trump ally who has published an enemies list, as the FBI director; Tulsi Gabbard as director of the office of national intelligence; and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr, the anti-vaccine advocate at Health and Human Services.