Vice President Vance Breaks Tie to Confirm Pete Hegseth as Defense Secretary

In a dramatic and historic vote, the Senate confirmed President Donald Trump’s controversial nominee, Pete Hegseth, as Secretary of Defense late Friday night. The 51-50 vote required Vice President JD Vance to step in and cast the deciding tie-breaking vote, cementing a significant political victory for the Trump administration amid fierce opposition.

Hegseth’s confirmation came after Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, and former GOP Leader Mitch McConnell broke ranks to vote against him, citing concerns about his qualifications and a series of allegations against him, including sexual assault, alcohol abuse, and financial mismanagement of veterans’ charities. These allegations, which Hegseth has denied, dominated the confirmation process.

Notably, Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who was rumored to be leaning against Hegseth, ultimately voted in his favor. In a statement, Tillis emphasized his decision was based on a thorough review of Hegseth’s qualifications:

"From the beginning, I have been clear about my position: if President Trump’s nominees were reported favorably out of the relevant committees, I would support their confirmation on the Senate floor absent new material information about their qualifications. Once Pete Hegseth’s nomination was sent to the floor by my colleagues on the Senate Armed Services Committee, I conducted my own due diligence, including asking tough questions of Pete, and I appreciated his candor and openness in answering them."

Tillis praised Hegseth’s military experience as a veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, adding:

"Pete has a unique perspective as a veteran and is unquestionably passionate about modernizing our military and supporting the brave patriots like himself who serve our nation. I will support his confirmation and look forward to working with him to rebuild our military and advance President Trump’s peace through strength agenda."

As Secretary of Defense, Hegseth has pledged to overhaul the department, focusing on policies he considers “woke” and streamlining its bureaucracy. During his confirmation hearing, Hegseth told lawmakers he intends to restore a “warrior culture” to the Pentagon, emphasizing the need to refocus the military on combat readiness and traditional values.

However, former GOP Leader Mitch McConnell delivered a scathing critique shortly after voting against Hegseth’s nomination, pushing back against the notion of restoring a “warrior culture” as Hegseth has envisioned.

"By all accounts, brave young men and women join the military with the understanding that it is a meritocracy. This precious trust endures only as long as lawful civilian leadership upholds what must be a firewall between servicemembers and politics," McConnell said. "The Biden Administration failed at this fundamental task. But the restoration of ‘warrior culture’ will not come from trading one set of culture warriors for another."

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer also strongly criticized Hegseth, calling him “one of the most erratic, unqualified and unfit Cabinet nominees we have ever seen in modern times” during remarks Friday morning. Schumer warned that confirming Hegseth would jeopardize the “credibility of the Republican majority” and highlighted his concerns about Hegseth’s character and suitability for the role.

"He has neither the character, the experience nor the judgment required by the job," Schumer added, reflecting the deep partisan divisions surrounding Hegseth’s nomination.

This vote marks only the second time in U.S. history that a vice president has broken a tie to confirm a Cabinet nominee. The first instance was in 2017, when then-Vice President Mike Pence cast a tie-breaking vote to confirm Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education.

Hegseth’s confirmation, despite the divisive process and allegations, underscores the Trump administration’s determination to push forward its defense and military priorities. Hegseth, who was present in the Senate chamber during the vote, is expected to lead efforts to modernize the U.S. military, implement President Trump’s "peace through strength" agenda, and reform the Pentagon’s structure to better meet national security challenges.