US Senate’s narrow vote greenlights Pete Hegseth as new defence secretary

The US Senate narrowly confirmed Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defence, marking a significant victory for President Donald Trump.

Vice President JD Vance cast the tie-breaking vote in a 51-50 result after several Republican senators, including former GOP leader Mitch McConnell, along with GOP Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, joined Democrats in opposing Hegseth's nomination, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

This was only the second time in US history that a vice president had broken a tie on a Cabinet nominee, the first being Vice President Mike Pence in 2017 for Betsy DeVos' confirmation as Education Secretary.

Hegseth will be sworn in by Vice President Vance on January 25. Despite his controversial confirmation process, Hegseth's confirmation is seen as a win for Trump, who strongly supported his nominee, emphasizing his potential to bring significant change to the Department of Defence.

Trump expressed confidence in Hegseth's abilities, saying, "We just heard that we have a great secretary of defence – we’re very happy about that, we appreciate everyone’s vote." As Defence Secretary, Hegseth plans to overhaul military policies, particularly addressing what he describes as "woke" culture and streamlining the Pentagon's bureaucracy, with an emphasis on restoring a "warrior culture."

However, McConnell, who voted against Hegseth’s nomination, criticized the idea of a "warrior culture," asserting, "The restoration of ‘warrior culture’ will not come from trading one set of culture warriors for another." McConnell stressed that the military must remain apolitical, and that trust in the military relies on civilian leadership upholding this separation.

Despite opposition from several Republican senators, Hegseth engaged with them personally to gain support. Senator Thom Tillis ultimately voted in favor after speaking with Hegseth for nearly two hours.

By Vafa Guliyeva