Pete Hegseth, who used to anchor a show on Fox News, has been confirmed as the next secretary of defense for the United States. He has received the keys to the biggest government department in the country.
On January 14, during a heated Senate confirmation hearing, some Republicans who had earlier voiced skepticism about Hegseth’s candidacy said that they would support the nominee chosen by President Donald Trump.
On January 20, the Senate Armed Services Committee, which assisted in the vetting of Hegseth, recommended that the full Senate confirm him. The Senate followed the committee’s recommendation on Friday, January 24, when it voted 51-50 in favor of his candidacy.
According to the Associated Press, Vice President J.D. Vance had to cast a tie-breaking vote as Republican Senators Mitch McConnell, Lisa Murkowski, and Susan Collins voted against Hegseth’s nomination, joining all of the Democrats.
Hegseth was seen to be one of Trump’s most dangerous choices, therefore his confirmation was a significant achievement for the administration. Next, three more candidates who have generated controversy will be put to the test: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has been nominated to run the Department of Health and Human Services; Tulsi Gabbard, who has been nominated for director of national intelligence; and Kash Patel, who has been nominated for FBI director.
Before Hegseth’s confirmation vote, Murkowski and Collins announced that they would not support his nomination to oversee the Pentagon and all U.S. Armed Forces. They each wrote lengthy statements explaining their many reasons for voting against him, which included mentioning his numerous controversies, his lack of experience, and his previous comments about how women should not be in combat roles.
Collins wrote on X, “In December, he and I had an honest conversation about his previous statements and his apparently changing opinions.” “I don’t believe that his opinion on women serving in combat roles has changed.”
According to Murkowski’s X statement, “Above all, I believe that character is the defining trait required of the Secretary of Defense, and must be prioritized without compromise.” Mr. Hegseth’s candidacy for the position of head of the Department of Defense raises serious issues that I cannot ignore. The person in this position must display and model the standards of conduct and character that we demand from all servicemembers.
On November 13, 2024, Hegseth was nominated, but the nomination was soon overshadowed by a sexual assault claim from 2017 that emerged.
A police report states that the woman who accused him said that the former Fox News anchor had sexually assaulted her at the California Federation of Republican Women biannual convention in 2017. At the time, Hegseth was the keynote speaker, and the lady was one of the event’s organizers.
Hegseth was never accused of anything related to the event. However, according to CNN, he came to a settlement arrangement with the lady that included monetary compensation and a secrecy restriction.
The Associated Press reported on January 23 that the settlement sum was $50,000.
Timothy Parlatore, the lawyer for Hegseth, told CNN, “This police report confirms what I’ve said all along, that the incident was fully investigated, and police found the allegations to be false, which is why no charges were filed,” after the police report was brought back to light.
The day after, Trump’s transition team shared similar views, stating that the police had determined that the charges were untrue. However, the authorities simply ruled that they did not have enough evidence to establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Hegseth said that the claims were “anonymous, false charges” and refuted them during his Senate confirmation hearing.
The New York Times acquired a 2018 email from Penelope Hegseth, the mother of Fox News anchor Hegseth, which caused the issue surrounding Hegseth to escalate. In the communication, she referred to him as “despicable” and “an abuser of women.” However, she then informed the outlet that she had changed her mind about her son the next day.
The New Yorker reported on December 1 that Hegseth was reportedly removed from his past leadership posts at charitable organizations because of his persistent intoxication, misuse of cash, and inappropriate behavior with women.
During his confirmation hearing, Hegseth dismissed the accusations as part of an organized smear effort and promised that he would not drink if he was confirmed.
Despite the issues, many Republicans did not support Hegseth, but Trump continued to express confidence that his candidate would still be approved.
Before the Senate voted on Hegseth’s confirmation on January 21, his former sister-in-law came forward with new allegations against him. In an affidavit submitted to the Senate, she claimed that his second wife, Samantha, was afraid for her safety and made plans to escape, allegedly going so far as to develop a code word that she could use to get help.
Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, who is the highest-ranking Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, said in a statement to NBC News, “As I have said for months, the reports of Mr. Hegseth’s history of alleged sexual assault, alcohol abuse, and public misconduct necessitate an exhaustive background investigation.” I have been worried that the background check procedure has not been sufficient, and this signed affidavit proves that I am right to be concerned.
Reed also said that “the alleged pattern of abuse and misconduct by Mr. Hegseth is disturbing.” This conduct would preclude any service member from having any senior position in the military, much alone being confirmed as the Secretary of Defense.
Samantha said in an email to NBC News that she was not physically abused in her marriage.
Hegseth’s lawyer also addressed the most recent accusations: “Sam has never claimed that there was any abuse; she signed court documents acknowledging that there was no abuse and recently reaffirmed the same during her FBI interview.”