Pete Hegseth confirmed as Trump’s defence secretary

Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s nominee for US Secretary of Defense, was confirmed by the Senate late Friday night, after facing misconduct allegations that nearly derailed his confirmation.

Vice President J.D. Vance cast the tie vote for Hegseth, after three Republican senators, including former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, voted against him.

During Hegseth’s confirmation hearing, he faced multiple questions about… Allegation of sexual assaultWhich he denied, as well as infidelity and drinking.

The former combat veteran and one-time Fox News TV host will oversee a department of around three million employees and a budget of $849bn (£695bn).

It would have needed four Republicans to join the 47 Democratic senators and independents who voted against Hegseth to defeat his nomination.

McConnell’s surprise vote left the Senate deadlocked 50-50 before Vance arrived to tie the game.

Vance is only the second Vice President in US history to break a tie to confirm a Cabinet nominee. Trump’s former vice president, Mike Pence, became first when he broke a tie to confirm Betsy DeVos as education secretary in 2017.

“The fight, the girl, the merit, the standards, and the preparation. That’s it. That’s my job,” Hegseth said during a confirmation hearing earlier this month.

Democratic senators questioned Hegseth, a military veteran, about his qualifications to lead one of the nation’s largest agencies.

Hegseth, 44, a veteran of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, later worked at Fox. He has little of the traditional experience expected for a national security Cabinet position — a role typically filled by senior civil servants, experienced politicians, generals and high-level executives.

Hegseth was also asked during the hearing, particularly by senators, about his previous comments that women should not serve in combat roles. He responded that his concern was not women serving in combat, but in maintaining a certain standard in the American military.

The confirmation process has been overshadowed by allegations of misconduct. He was accused of sexually assaulting unnamed women in 2017 in a Monterey, California, hotel room. He has repeatedly denied the accusation.

The newly confirmed Defense Secretary has faced allegations of heavy drinking, including at work events, and infidelity in his two previous marriages.

“I’m not a perfect person, but redemption is real,” he said during the hearing.

Earlier this week, he was accused of alcohol and spousal abuse in an affidavit submitted to a congressional committee by his ex-sister. Hegseth’s lawyer denied the allegations.

But many Republicans, including Trump, have maintained their support for Hegseth.

For Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a Republican who voted against confirmation on Friday, the previous allegations helped sway their vote.

In a statement issued days before the vote, she said his past behavior “demonstrates the lack of judgment that goes beyond someone who leads our armed forces.”

Meanwhile, Maine Sen. Susan Collins, another Republican who voted against Hegseth, said she was “concerned that he does not have the experience and perspective needed to succeed in the job.”