With the support of President Donald Trump, former FOX News host Pete Hegseth moved one step closer to being confirmed as the Secretary of Defense.
On Thursday, January 23, 2025, Hegseth gained enough votes to successfully pass a procedural vote in the U.S. Senate. Running primarily along party lines, 51 Senators voted to approve Hegseth while 49 opposed. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine were the lone Republicans to vote against Trump’s nominee. Collins is not convinced Hegseth has “the experience and perspective necessary to succeed in the job” while Murkowski raised concerns regarding his lack of experience and judgment.
“Mr. Hegseth’s prior roles in his career do not demonstrate to me that he is prepared for such immense responsibility. His leadership of two veteran organizations was marked with accusations of financial mismanagement and problems with the workplace culture he fostered,” Murkowski stated.
“I am also concerned about multiple statements, including some in the months just before he was nominated, that Mr. Hegseth has made about women serving in the military. He and I had a candid conversation in December about his past statements and apparently evolving views. I am not convinced that his position on women serving in combat roles has changed,” Collins mentioned.
Despite the concerns of Democrats, Murkowski and Collins, Hegseth has garnered the support of most Republicans. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker called the former FOX News host a “good choice” for Secretary of Defense who would be “open to new ideas” and “not beholden to the status quo.”
Hegseth is expected to return to the U.S. Senate on Friday, January 24, 2025 as a final vote is scheduled to be held.
