The US Senate confirmed Pete Hegseth as the new secretary of defence, marking one of the closest confirmation votes in modern history for the position, that required a tie-breaker from Vice President JD Vance in a late-night vote on Friday (Jan 24).

Advertisment

US President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to congratulate Hegseth, saying, "Congratulations to Pete Hegseth. He will make a great Secretary of Defense!"

Also read: 'Manufactured chaos': US freezes almost all foreign aid except military funding for Israel and Egypt

While the Republican Party held a majority in the 100-member Senate, they could afford to lose only three votes to secure the nomination. Senators Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, and Mitch McConnell broke ranks to oppose Hegseth’s appointment, leaving the final decision to Vance, who cast the tie-breaking vote.

Advertisment

Before the vote, Vance wrote on the social media platform X, “I thought I was done voting in the Senate.”

Allegations of misconduct and harassment against Pete Hegseth

President Trump selected Hegseth, a former Fox News presenter, for the key role in spite of controversies surrounding him. His nomination faced complications due to allegations of misconduct and harassment.

Advertisment

Earlier in the week, a sworn statement was submitted to the Armed Services Committee by Hegseth's former sister-in-law, Danielle Diettrich Hegseth. She accused him of being “abusive” toward his second wife and being frequently intoxicated, including at least one incident while in uniform.

Hegseth has denied these claims, as well as earlier allegations of sexual assault, financial mismanagement, and public drunkenness.

President Trump, speaking to reporters on Friday, seemed uncertain about Hegseth’s prospects, saying, “I don’t know what’s going to happen,” while describing him as “a very good man.”

Also read: Trump administration directs agencies to start firing DEI staffs

Many Republicans have dismissed the affidavit submitted by Danielle Diettrich Hegseth. They pointed to a statement from Hegseth’s ex-wife, Samantha Hegseth, who told NBC News that he had never physically abused her, questioning the credibility of the claims.

The last time a defence secretary nominee was voted down was in 1989 when the Senate rejected John Tower, George H.W. Bush’s nominee, due to concerns about his drinking, behaviour towards women, and potential conflicts of interest with defence contractors.

(With inputs from agencies)