Republican lawmakers celebrated after the Senate narrowly confirmed Pete Hegseth as defense secretary on Friday.
The Senate was split 50-50, with three Republicans — Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. — joining the Democrats in opposing Hegseth’s confirmation, forcing Vice President JD Vance to cast the tie-breaking vote.
After Hegseth was confirmed, GOP lawmakers praised him as a “change agent” who has a “passion for the warfighter.”
“Pete has served in the Army National Guard as a front line officer, and he has a keen intellect and a passion for the warfighter,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., wrote on the social media platform X.
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“He did an excellent job during a very contentious hearing and withstood all the attacks that came his way,” Graham added. “He is bullish on creating a larger, more lethal military and is clear-eyed about America’s enemies, including Iran. Israel will have no better friend than Pete Hegseth.”
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said he was “proud to vote to confirm Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense.”
“He is the change agent that the DOD desperately needs,” Cruz said.
Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin said: “We did it, America.”
“It was an honor to be in the fight with my friend, and your SecDef: @PeteHegseth,” he wrote. “The Hegseth family is the best!!”
“Heck yeah! @PeteHegseth is the man for the job,” Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said. “I’m honored to have voted for him. We just confirmed him as the next defense secretary.”
Sen. Roger Marshall wrote: “Congratulations to @PeteHegseth, our new Secretary of Defense! Pete will bring transformative change, refocusing our military on lethality and recruiting efforts. I can’t wait to see what a great job he will do.”
“Pete Hegseth is the perfect fit to make our military great again and achieve peace through strength,” Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., wrote. “It was an honor to support his nomination, and I look forward to seeing him restore trust in the Department of Defense by prioritizing war fighters over bureaucrats.”
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Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., congratulated Hegseth on his confirmation and said that “Every brave service member and every American is safer with you leading the Pentagon. American strength is BACK!”
“Congratulations to our NEW secretary of defense,” Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., said.
Democrats, meanwhile, questioned Hegseth’s credentials to lead the Pentagon ahead of his confirmation.
“Is Pete Hegseth—who failed to manage the finances of veterans’ nonprofit groups, who drove his organizations into debt to the point where he could not even pay creditors—really the person Republicans want in charge of the Pentagon’s budget?” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., wrote on X before the vote.
Schumer also asked: “Is Pete Hegseth really the best Republicans have to lead the greatest military in the world?”
“Our troops deserve better than someone as erratic and unqualified as Pete Hegseth,” he added.
Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said: “We deserve a Secretary of Defense with solid experience, sound judgment, and good character. Pete Hegseth does not meet the test.”
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Hegseth, a former Fox News host, had faced questions ahead of his confirmation over his infidelity, allegations of sexual assault and excessive drinking, his previous comments opposing women serving in combat roles in the military and his leadership abilities.
Married three times, Hegseth has admitted he was a “serial cheater” before he became a Christian and married his current wife, Jenny. He also originally said he opposed women in combat, before later saying that he only opposes standards for women in combat that are different from those for men. Hegseth has additionally denied the sexual assault allegations and has said he would abstain from alcohol as defense secretary.
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