Senate Confirms Pete Hegseth as Defense Secretary in Narrowest Vote in History

The Senate confirmed Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense on January 24, 2025, by a 51-50 vote with Vice President JD Vance casting the tiebreaker. Three Republicans -- Susan Collins, Mitch McConnell, and Lisa Murkowski -- voted against confirmation alongside all Democrats and independents. Hegseth, a former Fox News host with no government management experience, was the second Cabinet nominee in history to require a vice presidential tiebreaker for confirmation.