President Donald Trump has responded after late-night drama in the Senate involving former Fox News host Pete Hegseth’s confirmation as secretary of defense.
Three Republicans — Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky — voted with all 47 Democrats to reject Hegseth, forcing Vice President JD Vance, as president of the Senate, to cast the tie-breaking vote for confirmation.
“I’m honored to have Pete. I think Pete’s gonna be a great Secretary of Defense and we’re honored to have him,” Trump said as he prepared to board Air Force One in Los Angeles following a whirlwind day where he visited storm-ravaged North Carolina and saw the devastation left behind by wildfires in the country’s second-largest city.
A reporter asked Trump what he thought about McConnell’s “no” vote, but he said he didn’t know how McConnell had voted until just then. “Winning is what matters, right?” Trump went on to say.
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Despite the three defections, the vast majority of Republican senators praised Hegseth, a former Army National Guard officer with multiple combat tours, as a “change agent” who has a “passion for the warfighter.”
“Pete has served in the Army National Guard as a front line officer, and he has a keen intellect and a passion for the warfighter,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., himself a retired Air Force JAG officer, wrote on the social media platform X.
“He did an excellent job during a very contentious hearing and withstood all the attacks that came his way,” Graham added. “He is bullish on creating a larger, more lethal military and is clear-eyed about America’s enemies, including Iran. Israel will have no better friend than Pete Hegseth.”
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said he was “proud to vote to confirm Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense.” He added: “He is the change agent that the DOD desperately needs.”
Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma added, “We did it, America.”
“It was an honor to be in the fight with my friend, and your SecDef: @PeteHegseth,” he wrote. “The Hegseth family is the best!!”
“Heck yeah! @PeteHegseth is the man for the job,” Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said. “I’m honored to have voted for him. We just confirmed him as the next defense secretary.”
Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas added on X: “Congratulations to @PeteHegseth, our new Secretary of Defense! Pete will bring transformative change, refocusing our military on lethality and recruiting efforts. I can’t wait to see what a great job he will do.”
“Pete Hegseth is the perfect fit to make our military great again and achieve peace through strength,” Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., wrote. “It was an honor to support his nomination, and I look forward to seeing him restore trust in the Department of Defense by prioritizing war fighters over bureaucrats.”
House Republicans also weighed in on the successful nomination.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., congratulated the former Fox host on his confirmation: “Every brave service member and every American is safer with you leading the Pentagon. American strength is BACK!”
“Congratulations to our NEW secretary of defense,” added Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla.
Senate Democrats, of course, cast doubt on Hegseth’s credibility and ability to lead the DoD.
“Is Pete Hegseth—who failed to manage the finances of veterans’ nonprofit groups, who drove his organizations into debt to the point where he could not even pay creditors—really the person Republicans want in charge of the Pentagon’s budget?” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., wrote on X before the vote.
Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said: “We deserve a Secretary of Defense with solid experience, sound judgment, and good character. Pete Hegseth does not meet the test.”
