DEVELOPING STORY: Vice President J.D. Vance was forced to step in and break a tie vote late Friday night in the U.S. Senate to confirm Pete Hegseth, President Trump’s nominee to be Secretary of Defense.
“I thought I was done voting in the Senate,” Vance posted on X with a crying laughing emoji.
Three Republican senators broke ranks and sided with Democrats in opposing Hegseth including Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME). By contrast, all three lawmaker voted to confirm Lloyd Austin, President Biden’s nominee for Defense Secretary.
“Effective management of nearly 3 million military and civilian personnel, an annual budget of nearly $1 trillion, and alliances and partnerships around the world is a daily test with staggering consequences for the security of the American people and our global interests,” McConnell said in a statement. “Mr. Hegseth has failed, as yet, to demonstrate that he will pass this test.”
There have already been calls to primary any Republican lawmaker who opposed Hegseth.
Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi, the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, when asked to predict the vote tally, said: “I think we might need the vice president.”
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The New York Times reports that President Trump seemed to anticipate McConnell’s opposition this morning. “Of course Mitch is always a no vote, I guess,” the president told reporters.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) was originally thought to be a no vote, but he came around and back Hegseth.
“I conducted my own due diligence, including asking tough questions of Pete, and I appreciated his candor and openness in answering them,” Tillis said in a statement. “I will support his confirmation and look forward to working with him to rebuild our military and advance President Trump’s peace through strength agenda.”
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