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One of Donald Trump’s most controversial cabinet picks has been narrowly confirmed by the US Senate to head the Pentagon, despite allegations of sexual assault and alcohol abuse.
Pete Hegseth will become US secretary of defence after the Senate voted 51-50 in his favour late on Friday night, squeaking by after vice-president JD Vance broke the tie.
Republican senators Mitch McConnell, Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins joined Democrats in voting against Hegseth’s confirmation.
Hegseth survived a last-ditch effort by Democrats to prevent his confirmation after his former sister-in-law, Danielle Hegseth, made a sworn statement accusing him of being so abusive to his ex-wife that she hid in a closet out of fear for her safety. She also alleged that he had abused alcohol for years.
The former Fox News host is a departure from the typical defence secretary. His predecessor, Lloyd Austin, was a retired army general who oversaw US Central Command, which encompasses military operations in the Middle East.
A vocal opponent of “wokeness”, Hegseth has vowed to bring a “warrior” culture back to the US military as the Trump administration moves to do away with the federal government’s diversity initiatives.
He also said one of his priorities will be to secure the US-Mexico border. The Pentagon on Wednesday said it would send an additional 1,500 active duty troops to the US’s southern border, a 60 per cent increase, on the president’s orders.
McConnell said he voted against Hegseth because the nominee lacks the “strategic vision” for how to address the US’s greatest national security challenges.
Hegseth “provided no substantial observations on how to defend Taiwan or the Philippines” and did not “articulate in any detail a strategic vision for dealing with” with China, McConnell said. The incoming defence secretary also failed to demonstrate he can manage the Pentagon effectively.
On Thursday, Murkowski said she could not vote for him “in good conscience”, while Collins said she was “not convinced that his position on women serving in combat roles has changed”.
Ahead of the vote, Trump told reporters on Friday that he “was very surprised that Collins and Murkowski would do that”, adding that “Pete’s a very, very good man”.
He also anticipated that McConnell would be a hold out too: “Of course, Mitch is always a ‘no’ vote, I guess.”
Trump shocked Washington and defence circles when he selected Hegseth, who served in the Army National Guard, for the role. He has since been dogged by allegations of sexual assault, alcohol abuse, misogyny, sexism and racism.
Hegseth said in written answers to questions that he paid $50,000 to the woman who accused him of sexual assault in a California hotel room in 2017, according to Senator Elizabeth Warren.
Hegseth dismissed the allegations about the sexual assault, his character and preparedness for the top Pentagon job as “a smear campaign” at his Senate confirmation hearing last week. He also tried to revise his previous statements about women soldiers, saying they would “have access to ground combat roles, given the standards remain high”.
On air Hegseth became known for denouncing diversity, equity and inclusive initiatives. DEI policies in the military were “dividing troops” and forcing “commanders to walk on eggshells”, Hegseth said at his hearing.
More Senate confirmation fireworks could come when two other contentious cabinet nominees, Robert F Kennedy Jr and Tulsi Gabbard, are grilled by senators on January 29 and January 30, respectively. Both ex-Democrats, Kennedy has been tapped for health secretary and Gabbard for director of national intelligence.