JD Vance arrives in Senate to break nail-biter Pete Hegseth tie on Defense Secretary vote
JD Vance arrives in Senate to break nail-biter Pete Hegseth tie on Defense Secretary vote
Share:
Surprise third Republican Mitch McConnell opposed Hegseth’s confirmation after a series of revelations about his personal life and alleged misconduct. The Senate confirmation of Pete Hegseth as Donald Trump’s next Secretary of Defense was hung up late Friday evening in a last-minute nail-biter vote following several misconduct allegations that threatened to tank his nomination.
![[Hegseth faced a raft of misconduct allegations during the nomination process]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/23/22/TRUMP-HEGSETH-PAGO_71266.jpg)
All the Democrats and a surprise three Republicans — Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine and Kentucky’s Mitch McConnell — opposed his nomination. Vice President JD Vance quickly arrived in the Seante after the vote to break the 50-50 tie.
![[Hegseth and his wife, Jennifer Rauchet, attend the Commander-In-Chief inaugural ball]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/21/02/2194454487.jpg)
McConnell, the former Senate majority leader and a massive military hawk, surprised many by showing up to the Senate and voting against Hegseth’s confirmation. Meanwhile, Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who had not tipped his vote either way, showed up with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, the Democrat who had grilled Hegseth about his views on women serving in the military.
A former Fox News host, Hegseth’s nomination was on shaky ground from the start, as he quickly came under fire for multiple infidelities, accusations of sexual misconduct, and previous comments about women in combat. He faced allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman in 2017, with a police report revealing that the woman had accused him of blocking the door of his hotel room to prevent her from leaving. The accusation led to a repoted $50,000 nondisclosure settlement, but Hegseth has denied any misconduct.
