On Friday, Pete Hegseth became the second person to be confirmed to a cabinet secretary post when Vice President JD Vance cast the deciding vote, ensuring he will be the next defense secretary. Ms. Murkowski and Ms. Collins also voted against him, along with Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky.

Moderate GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska has broken her silence, saying she won't be voting to confirm Pete Hegseth as secretary of defense.

"I thought I was done voting in the senate," JD Vance wrote as he had to do a senator's job for Hegseth again. Elon Musk reacted to JD Vance's statement with a 'tears of joy' smiley. JD Vance is no longer a senator as he resigned from the Ohio senator post after becoming the vice president but had to cast the vote to break the tie.

The Senate voted 51-50 on Friday night to confirm Hegseth, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote.

Hegseth's confirmation brings an end to a hard-fought battle in the Senate. The new secretary will disrupt the military's status quo.

In a phone interview with The New Yorker in December, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat and a member of the Senate Armed Forces Committee, described Hegseth's nomination as 'dangerous'

Pete Hegseth narrowly secured enough votes on Friday to become the next U.S. defense secretary, a major victory for President Donald Trump after fierce opposition from Democrats and even some Republicans to his controversial nominee.

Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky voted against President Donald Trump's nominee to be secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth.

The Republican-controlled Senate on Friday night confirmed Pete Hegseth as defense secretary by the narrowest of margins, with Vice President JD Vance casting a tie-breaking vote and delivering a victory for President Donald Trump.

The Senate confirmed Pete Hegseth late Friday, swatting back questions about his qualifications to lead the Pentagon.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who was sworn in on Saturday, issued a statement outlining his top priorities for the Pentagon under President Trump. “It is the privilege of a lifetime to

Vice President Vance cast a tie-breaking vote as Hegseth overcame allegations of sexual assault, public drunkenness and questions of financial mismanagement to win Senate approval.