Washington Pete Hegseth’s candidacy as President Donald Trump’s defense secretary was advanced by the Senate on Thursday, setting him up for ultimate confirmation at the end of the week.
Only two moderate Republicans, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, voted with all 47 Democrats to try to block Hegseth, and the vote was 51-49. To move on to a final vote, he required a simple majority.
Murkowski became the first Republican to publicly criticize Hegseth’s candidacy just before the vote, claiming that some of the actions he has acknowledged show a “lack of judgment” and are “unbecoming of someone who would lead our armed forces.”
Collins claimed that following the vote, she had spoken with Hegseth personally about her worries regarding his remarks that women shouldn’t be involved in battle.
Hegseth recanted those remarks at his confirmation hearing, telling senators that he is in favor of women serving in combat as long as standards are maintained. Her response, however, stated that Collins is “not convinced that his position on women serving in combat roles has changed.”
Nevertheless, following the vote, Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, who has helped Hegseth through the process, announced that Hegseth will be approved on Friday. Wicker responded, “I was not surprised, and I do understand,” when asked about Murkowski and Collins’ opposition to him.
The decision on Thursday was a major step forward for Hegseth, whose nomination only a month ago seemed to be in jeopardy after many press exposes exposed claims of sexual assault, alcohol misuse, and financial mismanagement of institutions he oversaw.
Hegseth, an Army combat veteran and former Fox News host, has refuted each of those claims.
Following last-minute disclosures that a former sister-in-law of Hegseth had stated in a sworn affidavit shared with senators that he had exhibited unpredictable and violent behavior over many years and had caused his ex-wife, Samantha Hegseth, to fear for her safety during their marriage, the GOP-led Senate voted to end debate on his nomination. In the affidavit, Danielle Hegseth, the ex-sister-in-law, also stated that Samantha had previously informed me that Hegseth had unconsentedly grabbed her groin at their house.
Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the leading Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, requested information, and the affidavit was filed in response. NBC News was the first to report on the affidavit’s existence.
Danielle Hegseth claimed that she was not a direct witness to Hegseth’s sexual or physical abuse. There was no physical abuse during the marriage, according to a statement from Samantha Hegseth. His ex-wife’s attorney did not reply to the unreported accusation.
“As NBC is well aware, the actual participant, Samantha, has denied these false allegations, yet NBC continues to irresponsibly report false allegations by an uninvolved third party as if they were fact,” wrote Pete Hegseth’s attorney Tim Parlatore in an email.
Hegseth is still not in the clear even after Thursday’s vote. Hegseth would not have the majority he needs to be confirmed if four Republican senators joined the 47 Democrats on the final vote.
Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, reaffirmed her support for Hegseth on Thursday, while Sen. Shelly Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., also stated they would vote in favor of him. However, a number of other senators were still undecided.
As he looked into the numerous accusations made against Hegseth, Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., stated he would vote to move Hegseth’s nomination along and seemed to be leaning toward ultimate passage.
“I continue to review the record… I do a lot of due diligence,” Tillis stated on Thursday. “I’ve spoken with a lot of folks. I’ve been on the phone for hours. I have yet to come across a single example of a first-hand narrative that provides evidence to back up the claims. That would affect my vote if I discovered it.
“But I’ve completed due diligence, and I’ve looked for it, and I haven’t found it,” he stated.
Vice President JD Vance might be required to break a 50-50 tie, as Armed Services Chairman Wicker hinted at how close a final vote on Hegseth might be.
“I would stay if I were JD Vance,” Wicker remarked.
On the Senate floor, Reed expressed his opposition to Hegseth’s nomination, saying he thought the FBI’s initial background investigation on Hegseth was hurried and lacking. Since then, including Wednesday night, he said, the FBI has had to provide him with two further briefings on Hegseth.
“Before Mr. Hegseth’s hearing, I was alarmed that investigators had neglected to contact critical witnesses and whistleblowers, and I urged them to reopen the investigation,” Reed stated in his speech on the floor. “It is extraordinary that the FBI has visited my office twice more in my time on the Armed Services Committee, including last night, to present more details about the nominee.
“Frankly, I still do not believe the background investigation is complete,” he stated.
CORRECTION (at 1:46 PM ET on January 24, 2025): Pete Hegseth’s former sister-in-law’s name was misspelled in an earlier version of this story. She is not Daniella; she is Danielle Hegseth.