Washington – The Senate confirmed Pete Hegseth as the next Defense Secretary, approved the selection of President Trump to lead the Pentagon after a controversial battle on his nomination.
In the voting based on most party lines, Hegseth was confirmed, with 51 votes in favor and 50 votes in opposition. Three Republican broke his party with his party to oppose his nomination, forcing Vice President JD Vance to vote tie-breaking. At least four Republicans will have to vote against him to cancel the nomination of Hegseth.
Hegseth's enrollment once appeared in an unstable position amid allegations such as sexual misconduct and financial mismanagement. But the former Fox News Host said in a disobedient voice as the support for his confirmation was in doubt and Mr. Trump stood behind his choice.
The Senate Republican dismissed the allegations on a large scale, including the allegations leveled An affidavit Hegseth's former sister -in -law was made to light this week. In an affidavit to members of the Senate Armed Service Committee, he alleged that Hegseth intimidated his second wife for his personal protection and misused alcohol for many years.
But in the confirmation process they lost two Republican votes: Alaska Senator Lisa Murkovsky and Men's Senator Susan Colins. Murkovsky Said On Thursday, she was unable to support Hegseth's nomination, citing her previous stance on women in many allegations and women in the war.
He said, “These behavioral behavior is completely opposite to the values ​​and discipline from the service members. In uniforms, men and women are held responsible for such tasks, and they deserve leaders who maintain these similar standards.” Do not show me that he is ready for such a huge responsibility to lead the Defense Department.
Shortly thereafter, Colins made a similar announcement. Coalins said she was worried that Hegseth had a shortage of “the experiences and perspectives required to be successful in the job” and “she was not convinced that her position on women serving in fighter roles had changed.”
Despite voting for his nomination to pursue his nomination a day earlier, Kentukki Republican Senator Mich McConel joined him on Friday. McConel went to the Senate floor late on Friday night and as soon as his name was called, he proposed to lower his hand.
McConel said in a long and sharp statement after his vote, “Mr. Hegseth has so far failed to showcase that he will pass this exam. But as soon as he has taken over, the results of the failure will be equally higher. As much as before. ” ,
Mr. Trump, Which was in California Surveying the damage caused by wildfire, he said that he did not know how McConel voted, but praised Hegseth and said that he was going to be “a great defense secretary.”
Before putting the tie-breaker of the Vance, that wrote, “I felt that my voting in the Senate was over.”
during his Controversial confirmation hearing Last week, Democrats questioned Hegseth about this October 2017 accused of sexual harassmentWhich he has repeatedly denied.
In one of the hottest moments of the hearing that lasted hours, Virginia's Democratic Senator Tim Cin questioned Hegseth about the history of infidelity in his three weddings.
“Can you cheat another wife so easily?” Kin asked Hegseth about the time of sexual harassment allegations, saying that Hegseth claims that it was an agreed encounter.
Cain said, “You have admitted that you had sex in that hotel.” “You said that it happened with consent, is it not right? You have admitted that it was done with consent, and you were still married, and you have just had a child from another woman. How do you explain? “
Hegseth, who avoided answering the question directly, also refused to answer the question of whether the encounter would be disqualified if the encounter is sexual harassment.
Earlier, in the hearing, Hegseth described the allegations against him, which aims to destroy him.
Hegseth said, “I am not an ideal person, but he said that he was saved by his wife” Jesus Aur Jenny “, from whom he married in 2019. Earlier this week, it was this. exposure That he had paid a $ 50,000 agreement to his accused.
He also addressed his views on women in war, saying that their previous thoughts that women should not work in the role of war were inspired by concerns about “standards”.
Hegseth, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, joined Fox News as an contributor in 2014 and eventually became the co-genre of “Fox and Friends Weekend”. After Trump said that he wanted to nominate him to lead the Defense Department, he quit his job in the network.
Contributed to this report.