Senators Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins and Mitch McConnell voted against confirming Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary. To Capitol insiders, their decisions weren’t surprising.

The Alaska Republican plans to vote against the confirmation of Pete Hegseth to lead the Department of Defense.

Republican Sen. Susan Collins voted Thursday against advancing President Donald Trump's choice for defense secretary, who has faced allegations of heavy drinking, financial mismanagement and abusive behavior toward women.

President Donald Trump said he was “surprised” that Republican Sens. Susan Collins (Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) voted to oppose Pete Hegseth’s defense secretary nomination.

A defining duo of the first Donald Trump administration is back.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski is opposing the nomination of Pete Hegseth to be President Donald Trump's Defense secretary.

In the early days of President Donald Trump’s second term, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski had openly challenged or rebuked him at least three times

Even as handicappers adjudged Pete Hegseth ’s confirmation as secretary of Defense to be all but certain, not one but two Republican senators indicated a hard pass on the poorly qualified bad boy from Fox News.

Analysis: Nomination for Defense Secretary puts a familiar pair of GOP senators in a predictable spot, writes John Bowden

Pete Hegseth is on track to be secretary of defense, despite Murkowski's opposition. He has denied multiple allegations of alcohol abuse, financial mismanagement and violence against women.

Murkowski is a moderate with a history of bucking her party and Trump when she has felt it was the right thing to do.

To be confirmed as health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. can afford to lose no more than three Republican votes if all Democrats are united in their opposition to him.