 "Hegseth gets Senate nod, becomes defence secretary in a bow to Trump")
By Steven T. Dennis and Natalia Drozdiak
Pete Hegseth will become the next secretary of defense after a Senate majority confirmed President Donald Trump’s choice despite his lack of high-level experience and allegations — which he denied — of alcohol abuse, sexual misconduct and financial mismanagement of organizations he previously led.
The move by the Republican-controlled Senate was a testament to Trump’s ability to maneuver his narrow control of Congress, as lawmakers voted 51-50 to back Hegseth, a 44-year-old former Fox TV host, largely along party lines.
Three Republicans — Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine — joined Democrats in opposing his confirmation as Vice President JD Vance cast his first tie-breaking vote.
McConnell, the former Republican leader who has frequently sparred with Trump, questioned Hegseth’s readiness to lead the Pentagon and be a “change agent,” as he’s described himself.
“Effective management of nearly 3 million military and civilian personnel, an annual budget of nearly $1 trillion, and alliances and partnerships around the world is a daily test with staggering consequences for the security of the American people and our global interests,” McConnell, who leads the panel that oversees Pentagon spending, said in a Friday statement. “Mr. Hegseth has failed, as yet, to demonstrate that he will pass this test.”
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Murkowski said this week that Hegseth’s record, including admissions of marital infidelity, demonstrates “a lack of judgment that is unbecoming of someone who would lead our armed forces.” She and Collins also raised concerns about his earlier opposition to women in combat.
Hegseth, who served in the Army National Guard in Iraq and Afghanistan, faced early headwinds in his nomination amid allegations about his past behavior, which he’s dismissed as “anonymous smears.” The latest accusation from his former sister-in-law earlier this week — that he was emotionally abusive to his ex-wife and one time made her fear for her safety — risked softening support for Hegseth, but top Republicans ultimately dismissed the concerns.
In a Friday letter to Republican Senator Thom Tillis, Hegseth disputed the allegations against him in detail.
Hegseth’s new job will require rapid learning as he takes control of the Pentagon’s complex bureaucracy, with a budget of more than $840 billion.
In his confirmation hearing, Hegseth pledged his priorities would include reviving the US defense industrial base, overhauling the acquisition process to open up more opportunities for defense startups and rapidly adopting emerging technologies. Those plans drew scrutiny from some Democratic lawmakers who questioned his ability to execute them given his relatively limited management experience.
Casting himself as a “change agent,” Hegseth said he would surround himself with people who are “smarter and more capable than me.” That will include billionaire financier Stephen Feinberg, co-founder and majority owner of Cerberus Capital Management LP, who Trump has nominated to serve as Hegseth’s deputy.
Hegseth has vowed to rid the military of what he and Trump have called “woke” policies.
“The US military needs to confront the reality and perception that it has become too focused on political issues of social justice, political correctness, critical race theory, climate change, etc.,” Hegseth wrote in response to written questions from the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Hegseth and his deputies will be expected to deliver on Trump’s pledge to end US involvement in existing wars while deterring future aggression. An early test will come in deciding whether to continue providing US weapons to Ukraine as Trump pushes for a rapid end to the war that began with Russia’s fullscale invasion of its neighbor almost three years ago.
Hegseth also is likely to press Trump’s case that allies and partners in Europe and Asia should spend more on their own defense so the US can spend less protecting them.
Hegseth will also have to navigate Trump’s close ties with billionaire Elon Musk, whose SpaceX has become a vital partner for the Pentagon, with contracts valued in billions of dollars. At the same time, Musk is leading cost-cutting efforts across federal agencies in what Trump has dubbed the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.