Pete Hegseth’s confirmation vote for Secretary of Defense ended 51–50 on January 24, 2025, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote after three Republicans joined every Democrat and independent in opposition.1U.S. Senate. Roll Call Vote No. 15, 119th Congress According to Axios, it was only the second time in U.S. history that a vice president cast a tie-breaking vote to confirm a Cabinet nominee.2Axios. Pete Hegseth Senate Confirms DOD The margin was one of the narrowest for any defense secretary in modern American history, a striking contrast to Lloyd Austin (confirmed 93–2) and James Mattis (confirmed 98–1).
How the Vote Broke Down
Every member of the Democratic caucus voted no. Three Republicans crossed the aisle: Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. That produced a 50–50 tie, which Vance broke in Hegseth’s favor.1U.S. Senate. Roll Call Vote No. 15, 119th Congress
Four days earlier, on January 20, the Senate Armed Services Committee had voted 14–13 along party lines to send the nomination to the floor.3Roll Call. Armed Services Panel Moves Hegseth Nomination Forward
Why Collins Voted No
Senator Collins issued a detailed statement citing Hegseth’s lack of management experience for an organization with nearly three million employees and an $850 billion budget. She pointed to his “limited” background running “two small non-profit organizations that had decidedly mixed results,” said she was not convinced his views on women in combat had genuinely changed, and cited his apparent lack of appreciation for legal constraints like prohibitions on torture under the Geneva Conventions.4Senator Susan Collins. Statement on Nomination of Pete Hegseth
Why Murkowski Voted No
Senator Murkowski framed her opposition around character. She said character is “the defining trait” for a secretary of defense and that Hegseth’s admitted infidelity, combined with allegations of sexual assault and excessive drinking, demonstrated a “lack of judgment that is unbecoming” of a leader of the armed forces.5Senator Lisa Murkowski. Statement on Hegseth Nomination
Why McConnell Voted No
McConnell’s opposition came as a surprise. He had voted the day before to advance the nomination out of procedural posture, then reversed on the final vote. He said Hegseth had failed to demonstrate a “strategic vision for countering rising Chinese aggression” and had not provided “substantial observations” on defending Taiwan or the Philippines. He also expressed doubt about Hegseth’s ability to manage the Pentagon’s trillion-dollar budget.6The Hill. Mitch McConnell Pete Hegseth Confirmation Vote
The Swing Vote: Joni Ernst
The reason the tally reached 50–50 rather than 49–51 was Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa. A combat veteran and sexual assault survivor, Ernst was the Republican Democrats had focused their strategy on, particularly on military sexual assault. After the January 14 hearing, Ernst announced she would support Hegseth, saying he had “adequately” answered her questions. She conditioned her vote on commitments to audit the Pentagon, ensure opportunity for women in combat, and designate a senior official to address sexual assault in the ranks.7NBC News. Joni Ernst Says Will Support Pete Hegseth’s Nomination
Ernst faced political pressure. Allies of Trump had threatened to recruit a primary challenger in Iowa if she voted no.7NBC News. Joni Ernst Says Will Support Pete Hegseth’s Nomination
The Allegations That Shaped the Vote
The narrow margin reflected a nomination process shadowed by three overlapping controversies, all of which Hegseth denied and characterized during his hearing as part of a “coordinated smear campaign.”8The 19th. Inside Pete Hegseth’s Contentious Confirmation Hearing
The 2017 Sexual Assault Allegation
A police report made public in November 2024 described a 2017 incident at a Republican women’s conference in Monterey, California, in which a woman accused Hegseth of sexual assault in a hotel room. An emergency room nurse had contacted law enforcement after treating the woman, who reported she believed something may have been slipped into her drink.9The 19th. Pete Hegseth Settlement Amount The woman underwent a rape kit exam. No criminal charges were filed.
Hegseth disclosed during his confirmation process that he paid a $50,000 settlement, which he described as a “confidential settlement agreement for her nuisance claims.” His attorney, Tim Parlatore, characterized the accusation as “blackmail” and said the settlement was an effort to avoid losing his Fox News job during the “height of the MeToo movement.”9The 19th. Pete Hegseth Settlement Amount Hegseth told senators the encounter was consensual and that he had been “completely cleared.” Democrats disputed that characterization, noting the settlement and the fact that the FBI’s background investigation had not included interviews with the accuser or Hegseth’s two ex-wives.10CNN. Takeaways Pete Hegseth Confirmation Hearing
Reports of Heavy Drinking
A seven-page internal whistleblower report compiled by former employees of Concerned Veterans for America in February 2015 described Hegseth as “repeatedly intoxicated” while acting in his official capacity, detailing incidents where he had to be physically carried to his hotel room or restrained at a strip club. The report also alleged that at a bar in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, in May 2015, Hegseth drunkenly chanted “Kill All Muslims!”11The New Yorker. Pete Hegseth’s Secret History
A sworn affidavit from his former sister-in-law, Danielle Hegseth, submitted to the Senate Armed Services Committee at the request of ranking member Jack Reed, alleged additional incidents, including passing out in a bar bathroom and vomiting from an Uber on Interstate 94.12The Wall Street Journal. Pete Hegseth Affidavit Witness Drunk Passing Out Ten current and former Fox News employees told NBC News that Hegseth drank in ways that concerned colleagues, with multiple individuals saying they smelled alcohol on him before he went on air.13NBC News. Pete Hegseth’s Drinking Worried Colleagues at Fox News During his hearing, Hegseth committed to stop drinking if confirmed.8The 19th. Inside Pete Hegseth’s Contentious Confirmation Hearing
Financial Problems at Two Veterans Groups
Before his Fox News career, Hegseth led two veterans’ advocacy groups, and both experienced serious financial problems. As leader of Vets for Freedom, the group accrued significant debt; by January 2009, it had less than $1,000 in the bank against $434,833 in unpaid bills and $75,000 in credit card debt. Donors hired a forensic accountant and eventually stripped Hegseth of control, merging the organization into another group.11The New Yorker. Pete Hegseth’s Secret History
He later served as president of Concerned Veterans for America from 2013 to 2016, where the whistleblower report alleged he and his team used organization funds as a “personal expense account” for partying. He resigned in January 2016 under circumstances described publicly as “mutual” but which sources said involved pressure related to mismanagement and alcohol abuse.11The New Yorker. Pete Hegseth’s Secret History
The Hearing Itself
Hegseth appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee on January 14, 2025, for a hearing that lasted over three hours.8The 19th. Inside Pete Hegseth’s Contentious Confirmation Hearing Reed said Hegseth lacked “the character and the competence” to lead the Pentagon and called the nomination “an insult to the men and women who have sworn to uphold their own apolitical duty to the Constitution.” Senator Kirsten Gillibrand told Hegseth, “You will have to change how you see women to do this job.”14PBS NewsHour. Takeaways From Pete Hegseth’s Confirmation Hearing On policy, Hegseth said his concerns about women in combat centered on “standards” and “readiness,” asserted he had “never disparaged women serving in the military,” and said the federal government should not fund travel for abortion services.
What Has Happened Since Confirmation
Hegseth was sworn in on January 25, 2025.15Department of War. Secretary of War His tenure has been defined by sweeping personnel removals, cultural changes at the Pentagon, and a major classified information controversy that revived many of the concerns raised during his confirmation.
Removals of Senior Officers
Hegseth has dismissed or forcibly retired at least 24 generals and senior commanders. General C.Q. Brown was fired as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in February 2025; Admiral Lisa Franchetti was removed as chief of naval operations; and General Randy George was ousted as Army chief of staff in April 2026 after reportedly refusing to remove four officers from a promotion list.16The Guardian. Pentagon Pete Hegseth US Military General Dan Caine, a three-star general who required a promotion to four stars to qualify, was appointed as the new chairman.17CBS News. Hegseth Ousts Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George Hegseth also replaced the judge advocates general for the Army, Navy, and Air Force.18Human Rights Watch. US Defense Secretary’s Media Remarks on Rules of Engagement Approximately 60% of the removed leaders have been Black or female, according to the Guardian’s reporting.
DEI Rollback
Days after Hegseth took office, President Trump signed an executive order titled “Restoring America’s Fighting Force,” directing the elimination of all diversity, equity, and inclusion offices, programs, and initiatives within the Department of Defense. The order prohibited military institutions from teaching that America’s founding documents are “racist or sexist” and banned instruction on “gender ideology.”19The White House. Restoring America’s Fighting Force Hegseth later issued directives requiring gender-neutral male fitness standards for warfighters in combat roles, banning beards, mandating daily physical training for active-duty personnel, and reducing mandatory online training requirements.20U.S. Army Reserve. Hegseth Announces Series of War Department Reforms
The Signal Chat Controversy
In March 2025, Hegseth shared classified operational details about a planned airstrike against Houthi fighters in Yemen on Signal, a commercial messaging app, using his personal phone. The information, sourced from a U.S. Central Command document marked “Secret/NOFORN,” included flight schedules for F/A-18 Hornets. One message reportedly stated, “This is DEFINITELY when the first bombs will drop.”21CNN. Report Hegseth Signal The disclosure first became public after a reporter from The Atlantic was accidentally added to one of the group chats.
A separate chat, titled “Defense | Team Huddle” and created by Hegseth before his confirmation, included his wife Jennifer Hegseth, his brother Phil Hegseth, his personal lawyer Tim Parlatore, and roughly a dozen others from his inner circle. Jennifer Hegseth is not a Defense Department employee.22The New York Times. Hegseth Yemen Attack Second Signal Chat
A Department of Defense inspector general report, completed in December 2025, concluded that Hegseth violated departmental policies and that his actions risked endangering American troops. The IG also found this was not an isolated incident, noting awareness of “several other Signal chats Hegseth used for official business.” Hegseth refused to sit for an interview with the inspector general, providing only a written statement claiming he had the authority to declassify information and dismissing the investigation as partisan. His chief Pentagon spokesman called the report a “TOTAL exoneration.”21CNN. Report Hegseth Signal
Resignation Calls and an Impeachment Resolution
Multiple Democratic lawmakers have called for Hegseth’s resignation, beginning in March 2025 after the initial Signal revelations and recurring after the inspector general report. Senator Tammy Duckworth stated, “Everyone on that text chain should have been fired, but certainly Pete Hegseth needs to resign.”23Senator Tammy Duckworth. More Lawmakers Call for Hegseth’s Resignation as Signal Scandal Intensifies Senator Mark Warner called for his resignation after the IG report.24The Guardian. Hegseth Yemen Signal Group Chat The New Democrat Coalition in the House has issued repeated calls as well.25The Hill. New Democrats Pete Hegseth Resignation
On April 15, 2026, Representative Yassamin Ansari introduced a formal impeachment resolution, H.Res.1177, containing six articles: unauthorized war against Iran, violations of the law of armed conflict, negligent handling of classified information via Signal, obstruction of congressional oversight, abuse of power, and conduct bringing disrepute upon the armed forces. The resolution was referred to the House Judiciary Committee, where it remains in the introduced stage.26U.S. Congress. H.Res.1177, 119th Congress Trump has continued to defend Hegseth, and as of mid-2026 he remains in office.