Trump’s Pentagon pick squeezes through confirmation vote

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US Vice President J.D. Vance has cast the decisive vote in favor of Pete Hegseth

The US Senate has confirmed army veteran and Fox News contributor Pete Hegseth as the next secretary of defense on Friday.

Vice President J.D. Vance arrived in the chamber and cast the tie-breaking vote, sealing Hegseth’s appointment.

Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, and Mitch McConnell broke ranks and joined the Democrats in voting no.

Hegseth, who wrote a book about the need to restore a “warrior culture,” has promised to boost combat-readiness and the prestige of military service.

During his confirmation hearing earlier this month, he pledged to be “laser-focused on warfighting, lethality, meritocracy, standards, and readiness.”

President Donald Trump said Hegseth will be “a courageous and patriotic champion of our ‘Peace through Strength’ policy.”

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Hegseth’s nomination was marred by accusations of sexual assault and heavy drinking. He has rejected the accusations of inappropriate behavior as “anonymous false claims” that were brought up to smear his character. 

Some also argued that Hegseth lacks the necessary experience to lead the Pentagon. In a statement after Friday’s vote, McConnell claimed that Hegseth had failed to provide “a strategic vision” for countering America’s adversaries. 

Hegseth defended his candidacy by insisting that he is the right man to transform the military. “It’s time to give someone with dust on his boots the helm. A change agent,” he told the Senate.