Newly sworn-in Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth received strong praise from President Trump and other Republicans following a tough Senate vote Friday night to take command of the Pentagon.
President Trump: “Congratulations to Pete Hegseth'' I wrote it on Truth Social after the Senate voted 51-50 to install the Army veteran and former Fox News host as leader of the nation's military.
“He would make a great Secretary of Defense!”
Three Republican senators, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, joined all 47 Democrats in opposing President Trump's nominee, and J. It forced Vice President D. Vance to cast the tie-breaking vote.
Vance: “I thought the vote in the Senate was over'' quipped about X With tears of joy emoji.
Hegseth, a retired Army major and fierce critic of the “woke” military initiative, is accused of personal misconduct, including sexual assault, financial mismanagement and on-the-job binge drinking. He is one of the most controversial cabinet appointments.
The 44-year-old also drew the ire of Democratic officials over past comments about women serving in the military, publicly declaring after the November election that women should not serve in combat roles.
Despite the criticism, most Republicans supported him.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said he was “extremely pleased” to see Hegseth's confirmation and looked forward to working with him to “make America strong and safe again.” He said there was.
“Pete served as a front line officer in the Army National Guard and has a keen intellect and a passion for warfighters,” Graham said. Posted on social media.
“He did a great job in a very controversial hearing and withstood every attack that came his way. There is no better friend in Israel than Pete Heges.
Sen. Katie Britt (R-Alabama) Congratulations on confirmation He said on his social media platform that he looked forward to working with Hegseth to “restore peace through strength” and support the country's military personnel.
“Congratulations, Secretary,” Republican John Thune (R-South Dakota) Posted in X It was accompanied by an emoji of an American flag and a photo of her hugging Hegseth.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas): “I am proud to vote tonight to confirm Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense.” Posted on X.
“He's a change-maker that the Department of Defense desperately needs. Let's go to work.”
Donald Trump's son Donald Jr. and Megyn Kelly also commemorated the endorsement, with both hailing the vote as a great day for America and its military.
Democrats, meanwhile, criticized the decision to confirm Hegseth, who served in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay.
“Pete Hegseth's confirmation will make our country less secure,” said Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). Posted in X.
“It's a sad and dangerous day when Republican senators put loyalty to President Trump above national security.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said He said the military deserved better and called Hegseth “insane and unqualified.”
“Hegseth defended war criminals and rejected international law,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vermont). Posted in X before voting.
“He is a prominent advocate of privatizing the Veterans Administration. He was forced to resign from two leading advocacy groups following repeated allegations of financial mismanagement, sexual harassment, and alcohol abuse. I vote no.”
McConnell also defended his decision to vote against party lines, saying the defense secretary position is the most important cabinet position in any administration and the consequences of failure are greater than ever.
“In his testimony before the committee, Mr. Hegseth offered no substantive views on how to protect Taiwan or the Philippines from Chinese attack or whether he thought the United States should do so,” McConnell said. ” he said. stated in a long statement It ended with him wishing Hegseth “great success”
“Furthermore, he failed to articulate in detail a strategic vision for dealing with the most significant long-term threats emanating from China. There was also a lack of substantive discussion of countering adversary collaboration through defense-industrial cooperation.
