Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s controversial choice for US defence secretary, has been confirmed for the job.
The 44-year-old ex-veteran and former Fox News host narrowly secured the top Pentagon post with vice president JD Vance casting the 51-50 tie-breaking vote.
Three Republican senators – Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky – joined Democrats to oppose his nomination.
It is the second time in history a vice president has broken a tie for a cabinet nominee. In 2017, then vice president Mike Pence was called in to break a tie to confirm Mr Trump’s previous pick of Betsy DeVos as education secretary.
Mr Trump praised Mr Hegseth shortly after the vote, saying he would make a “great secretary of defence” in a post on Truth Social.
However, during the confirmation hearing, which was disrupted by three protesters, Mr Hegseth was accused of lacking the competence for the job.
Hours before the vote, Democrat after Democrat took to the Senate floor to object.
Senator Chris Murphy said during the debate there are few Trump nominees as “dangerously and woefully unqualified as Hegseth”.
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Mr Hegseth is the most divisive candidate to clinch the US military’s top job.
He is a controversial choice because of past statements and actions, including allegations of sexual assault – which he has denied – excessive drinking, and derisive views about women in military combat roles.
But most Senate Republicans fell into line to defend Mr Hegseth.
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 post.
Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the top Democrat on the armed services committee, however, said in a statement he would watch the new defence secretary “like a hawk” and “demand accountability”.
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Mr Hegseth steps into the role as the new Trump administration has said border security and immigration will be a focus for the US military.
Little is known about his views on key foreign policy issues such as arming Ukraine, preparing the US military for a potential conflict with China, and whether he would seek to scale back the country’s footprint in places including Syria and Iraq.
Former president Joe Biden’s defence secretary, Lloyd Austin, was confirmed by a 93-2 vote in 2021, and Jim Mattis, Mr Trump’s first defence secretary in his last administration, was confirmed by a 98-1 vote in 2017.
