Moderate GOP senator says she will vote against confirmation of Pete Hegseth for defense secretary

Republican Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, will not support the senate confirmation of Pete Hegseth, President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the defense department, citing a lack of experience and concerns over his past comments regarding women.

Several Republican senators remained on the fence about Hegseth’s nomination as he faced a grilling from members of the Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing in January. 

“While I appreciate his courageous military service and his ongoing commitment to our servicemembers and their families, I am concerned that he does not have the experience and perspective necessary to succeed in the job,” Collins wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday. 

KEY SENATE CHAIRMAN CRITICIZES ‘ANONYMOUS SOURCES WITH ULTERIOR MOTIVES,’ STANDS BY HEGSETH NOMINATION

“His limited managerial experience involved running two small non-profit organizations that had decidedly mixed results,” Collins wrote in a lengthy social media post. “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.”