The new Secretary of Defense for Trump’s new government is Pete Hegseth, who received 51 votes in favor and 50 against from the Senate. The tie-breaking vote was cast by Vice President J.D. Vance.
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It is the second time in American history that a vice president breaks a tie in favor of a member of the presidential Cabinet.
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How did Pete Hegseth's vote go?
Hegseth faced opposition from three Republican senators, Susan Collins (Maine), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), and Mitch McConnell (Kentucky), the former Republican majority leader who surprised with his last-minute vote against.
The vote on Hegseth took place in the shadow of the latest revelations about the candidate, who was a Fox News host.
Hegseth paid $50,000 to a woman who accused him of sexual assault in 2017, according to the response he provided to Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren during the confirmation process, as reported by The Associated Press news agency.
Accusations received by Hegseth
Although Hegseth's lawyer preferred not to comment, he said that "he strongly believes that he was a victim of blackmail and is an innocent collateral victim of a lie that the accuser maintained to sustain her marriage."
According to reports, Hegseth "ultimately decided to accept the agreement for a significantly lower amount" at the peak of the MeToo movement against violence towards women.
The new Secretary of Defense insists that the meeting with the accuser was "consensual." The prosecutor in the case declined the request because none of the accusations were "supported by evidence beyond a reasonable doubt."
In addition to the aforementioned, Democratic and Republican senators expressed their concern in Hegseth about the abusive treatment towards his wife and excessive alcohol consumption, situations that he denies.
Hegseth's narrow vote, in stark contrast to the unanimous vote for Marco Rubio as Secretary of State, confirms that he will be a controversial figure and that all accusations against him, including his comments against the presence of women in combat in the armed forces, will follow him as head of the Pentagon.