Pete Hegseth's confirmation as Secretary of Defense is marred by controversy and allegations of past misconduct.
The U.S. Senate narrowly confirmed Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense in President Donald Trump's new administration on Friday, with a tiebreaking vote cast by Vice President JD Vance. The vote was 51-50, following a protracted and contentious nomination process. Hegseth faced allegations of sexual assault , questions over his history with alcohol, and criticism for his past opinions on women in combat roles.
Just hours before the final vote, Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine continued to voice their opposition to Hegseth's confirmation. Sen. Murkowski stated that she remained concerned about the message confirming Hegseth sends to women currently serving and those aspiring to join the military. Both Sen. Collins and Sen. Murkowski, along with Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, ultimately voted against Hegseth's confirmation. The resulting 50-50 vote necessitated a tiebreaking vote by Vice President JD Vance in his capacity as presiding officer in the Senate.During confirmation hearings, Hegseth attempted to address previous comments he made about women serving in combat roles. He stated that women would have access to ground combat roles as long as standards remained high, and pledged to review those standards to ensure they were not eroded. Hegseth also received a sworn affidavit this week from Danielle Hegseth, his former sister-in-law, expressing concerns about his ability to serve if confirmed. Danielle alleged that Hegseth displayed erratic and aggressive behavior over many years, abused alcohol to the point of passing out, and may have mistreated his then-wife, Samantha, who reportedly feared for her safety. Hegseth was also accused of sexual assault in 2017, although he was not charged and maintained that the encounter was consensual.Shortly after his nomination, The New York Times published a letter written to Hegseth by his mother, Penelope, in 2018. In the letter, she accused him of a history of abusing women. Penelope Hegseth reportedly explained that she wrote the letter in anger while her son was going through a divorce and later apologized for her comments. However, the allegations against Hegseth continued to cast a shadow over his confirmation. He dismissed them as 'smears' and vowed not to drink alcohol while on the job. Hegseth's military background includes service in the Army National Guard since 2003, deployments to Guantanamo Bay, Iraq, and Afghanistan, and he currently holds the rank of Major. Before his nomination, he was a former co-host on 'Fox & Friends Weekend'. This is a developing story and will be updated
Pete Hegseth Confirmation Defense Secretary Senate Vote Allegations Sexual Assault Alcohol Abuse Women In Combat
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