Pete Hegseth confirmed in knife-edge vote to be new U.S. defense chief

U.S. Vice President JD Vance cast the deciding vote to confirm U.S. secretary of defense nominee Pete Hegseth 51-50 late Friday after the Senate split their vote over the controversial former Fox News host.

In a mostly party-line result that saw no Democrats vote for Hegseth, three Republicans — including former GOP leader Mitch McConnell — also joined them in voting against Republican President Donald Trump’s nominee.

But the defections were not enough, with Vance casting the tie-breaking vote. The vice president is also the president of the Senate and, in that role, can cast such votes. Vice presidents may only vote to break ties.

Hegseth was only the second U.S. Cabinet nominee in history to be confirmed in by a tie-breaking vote. Republicans have a 53-47 majority in the Senate, giving them some breathing room for close votes.

Opponents had said Hegseth has nowhere near the experience for the huge job and a disturbing history of heavy drinking and domestic abuse.

Indeed, Hegseth’s resume is so thin and his list of alleged personal issues so long that many observers said he was an unusual pick to oversee a nuclear-armed military with about 2.9 million employees and an $850 billion budget.

Hegseth has never been at the helm of a large organization. He served as a major in the National Guard but is better known for his role as a host on Fox News.