Donald Trump prevailed on Friday night as ex-Fox News host Pete Hegseth was confirmed as the new Secretary of Defense by a razor thin majority after Vice President JD Vance cast a tie-breaking vote.
All Senate Democrats voted against him; they were joined by three Republicans — Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and, surprisingly, Mitch McConnell. The 51-50 vote is the narrowest margin of victory for a Defense Secretary of all time; the position was created in 1947.
Hegseth’s nomination faced stiff opposition due to numerous accusations of misconduct. He was accused of physically abusing his ex-wife by his former sister-in-law, and he admitted when questioned by Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren that in 2017, he paid $50,000 to a woman who accused him of sexual assault.