On Monday, the US Senate confirmed President Donald Trump’s selection as Secretary of Defense by a vote of 51-50.
The controversial Pete Hegseth’s confirmation required a tie-breaking vote from Vice President JD Vance, as three Republicans broke ranks and voted against to register a 50-50 tally: Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and former Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.
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Collins and Murkowski had already voted against Hegseth’s nomination the week before in a procedural vote that passed 51-49. Murkowski stressed her concern about comments that Hegseth had made about the value of women in combat roles, with a backdrop of his history of alcohol abuse and allegations of sexual assault in 2017.
“These behaviors starkly contrast the values and discipline expected of service members,” Murkowski repeated Monday.
“Men and women in uniform are held accountable for such actions, and they deserve leaders who uphold these same standards,” she said, adding that his “prior roles in his career do not demonstrate to me that he is prepared for such immense responsibility” of leading the Pentagon.
Since Mr. Hegseth’s nomination last November, I have met with him and carefully reviewed his writings, various reports, and other pertinent materials. I closely followed his hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee and gathered substantial feedback from organizations,…
— Sen. Lisa Murkowski (@lisamurkowski) January 23, 2025
McConnell joined the the two women in dissent on Monday, remarking “Mr. Hegseth has failed, as yet, to demonstrate that he will pass this test. But as he assumes office, the consequences of failure are as high as they have ever been.”
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Hegseth, a former Fox News personality has been accused of drinking on the job and accusations of, but no criminal nor civil charges stemming from, sexual assault on a female guest in 2017 at a California hotel where Hegseth was delivering a speech.
His nomination was also criticized for his relatively slim military experience with no major leadership positions in the private or public sectors. He has never been elected to office.
Next, the Senate will move on to the nominations of Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence and Kash Patel as Director of the FBI.
Patel, a former federal prosecutor and former senior counsel on counterterrorism, faces some scrutiny from Democrats for reportedly breaking protocol during the retrieval of two American hostages held by Iran-backed Yemeni rebels in 2020. However, on the whole, he is seen as an easier pass than Gabbard.
I think the jury's still out [on Gabbard]
The Democrat-turned-Republican former Representative from Hawaii, and current lieutenant colonel serving in the US Army Reserve, has been seen as a little too comfortable parroting the Kremlin’s rhetoric on Ukraine and may have a hard time clearing the initial senatorial process and procedural vote. The Senate Intelligence Committee will also have its say about Gabbard’s nomination, and that panel has a 9-8 partisan split that includes Collins (R-ME) and Todd Young (R-IN) who have expressed his concerns.
The Director of National Intelligence oversees the the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and the National Security Agency (NSA), as well as more than a dozen other such agencies throughout the federal government. The DNI director also serves as the principal advisor to the President, the National Security Council, and the Homeland Security Council on such intelligence matters.
“I think [Gabbard’s chances] remain to be seen,” Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), an Intelligence Committee member, told The Hill when asked if she can win support of the Senate. “I think the jury’s still out,” he said.
The Senate on Monday also approved Trump’s pick for Treasury chief.
Billionaire hedge fund manager Scott Bessent, 62, will become the next US Treasury Secretary, a position that oversees the implementation of foreign sanctions and tariffs. AFP reported that Bessent has said he would back tougher sanctions on Russian oil majors as a way to end the war in Ukraine.
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