January 25, 2025 11:46 AM.
In USA, the Senate has confirmed appointment of Pete Hegseth as the next U.S. Defence Secretary. The confirmation for appointment of Hegseth came after a 50-50 vote in the Senate, when Vice President JD Vance broke the tie in his role as president of the Senate.
This is considered a major victory for President Donald Trump as Hegseth’s nomination was fiercely opposed by Democrats and some Republicans on the ground of multiple misconduct allegation. Pete Hegseth is facing allegation of sexual assault, infidelity and drinking.
Rarely has a Cabinet nominee faced such wide-ranging concerns about his experience and behavior as Hegseth, particularly for such a high-profile role atop the U.S. military. But the Republican-led Senate was determined to confirm Hegseth, a former Fox News host and combat veteran who has vowed to bring a “warrior culture,” rounding out President Donald Trump’s top national security Cabinet officials.
Vice President JD Vance arrived to break the 50-50 tie, highly unusual for Cabinet nominees and particularly defense secretaries, who typically win wider bipartisan support. Hegseth himself was at the Capitol with his family.
“We have a great secretary of defense and we’re very happy,” Trump said as he boarded Air Force One after surveying fire devastation in California.
Trump said he didn’t care about the dissent from Sen. Mitch McConnell, the influential former Republican leader — who joined two other Republicans, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, in voting against Hegseth — because the “important thing is winning.”
The Senate’s ability to confirm Hegseth despite a grave series of allegations against him provides a measure of Trump’s political power and ability to get what he wants from the GOP-led Congress, and of the potency of the culture wars to fuel his agenda at the White House.
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