
The Senate confirmed Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense after a deadlocked 50-50 vote required Vice President JD Vance to step in and cast the deciding vote late Friday. The confirmation came after weeks of debate over Hegseth’s qualifications and personal history, with all Democrats and three Republican senators—Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Mitch McConnell (R-KY)—voting against his appointment.
Critics of Hegseth’s nomination focused on allegations regarding his personal life and concerns about his stance on women serving in combat roles. Murkowski cited what she called a “lack of judgment” in her opposition, pointing to past accusations of infidelity and excessive drinking. Hegseth has repeatedly denied these allegations, and his former wife has publicly refuted claims of misconduct.
🚨BREAKING: President Trump just reacted to Pete Hegseth becoming the next Secretary of Defense:
"I'm honored to have Pete. I think Pete's gonna be a great Secretary of Defense and we're honored to have him."
pic.twitter.com/1FkvwuVTGx— Bo Loudon (@BoLoudon) January 25, 2025
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) initially appeared uncertain but ultimately sided with supporters of Hegseth, saying the nominee’s military experience and commitment to national security priorities made him the right choice to lead the Pentagon.
Thank you for your confidence Mr. President.
Thank you for the tie-breaker Mr. Vice President.
Thank you Senators for 50 votes.
This is for the troops. For the warriors. For our country.
America First. Every day. We will never back down. 🇺🇸
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) January 25, 2025
President Donald Trump welcomed the confirmation, highlighting Hegseth’s dedication to refocusing the military on strength and readiness. Trump has made it clear that his administration will work to remove Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives from military policies, which he argues have weakened the armed forces.
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) January 25, 2025
While the confirmation process for Hegseth was contentious, Secretary of State Marco Rubio was confirmed earlier in the week without opposition, receiving unanimous support from the Senate.
🚨 WTF? Mitch McConnell immediately walked over and CELEBRATED with the Democrats after voting against Hegseth
This man HAS TO GO in 2026.
The people of Kentucky voted for Trump’s mandate—not this anti-Trump BS. pic.twitter.com/bfFZtayx51
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) January 25, 2025
The Trump administration is expected to push forward with its defense strategy, with recent high-profile dismissals of military officials who previously supported DEI programs and other policies the administration views as distractions from combat preparedness.
Come primary season, let us all remember that Senators Susan Collins & Lisa Murkowski voted for this, while opposing Pete Hegseth:
pic.twitter.com/UqPUnRybLU— Jillian Anderson (@Jillie_Alexis) January 24, 2025
Pray for Pete Hegseth to serve as our next Secretary of Defense. 🙏 pic.twitter.com/VVH9V9gOMK
— CatholicVote (@CatholicVote) January 14, 2025