After a tense Senate confirmation hearing on Jan. 14, a number of Republicans who previously expressed doubts about Hegseth’s nomination declared that they would fall in line behind President\u00a0Donald Trump<\/a>‘s preferred candidate.<\/p>\n The Senate Armed Services Committee, which helped vet Hegseth, recommended on Jan. 20 that he be confirmed by the full Senate, and on Friday, Jan. 24, the Senate heeded the committee’s advice by voting 51-50\u00a0<\/strong>to approve his nomination.<\/p>\n Vice President J.D. Vance needed to place a tie-breaking vote after Republican Senators Mitch McConnell,\u00a0Lisa Murkowski<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Susan Collins<\/a>\u00a0joined all Democrats in voting against Hegseth’s nomination, per the\u00a0Associated Press<\/a>.<\/p>\n Hegseth was considered one of Trump’s riskiest nominations, making his confirmation a major feat for the administration. Three other controversial nominees will be put to the test next:\u00a0Robert F. Kennedy Jr.<\/a>, nominated to lead the Department of Health and Human Services;\u00a0Tulsi Gabbard<\/a>, nominated for director of national intelligence; and\u00a0Kash Patel<\/a>, nominated for FBI director.<\/p>\n Defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth at his Jan. 14 confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill.<\/span><\/p>\n Andrew Harnik\/Getty<\/p>\n Prior to Hegseth’s confirmation vote, Murkowski and Collins revealed that they would oppose his nomination to oversee the Pentagon and all U.S. Armed Forces, each writing lengthy statements that explained their similar, myriad reasons for voting against him \u2014 including mentions of his many controversies, thin r\u00e9sum\u00e9, and previous comments he’s made about how women do not belong in combat roles.<\/p>\n “He and I had a candid conversation in December about his past statements and apparently evolving views,” Collins wrote on\u00a0X<\/a>. “I am not convinced that his position on women serving in combat roles has changed.”<\/p>\n From Murkowski’s\u00a0X<\/a>\u00a0statement: “Above all, I believe that character is the defining trait required of the Secretary of Defense, and must be prioritized without compromise. The leader of the Department of Defense must demonstrate and model the standards of behavior and character we expect of all servicemembers, and Mr. Hegseth\u2019s nomination to the role poses significant concerns that I cannot overlook.”<\/p>\n Hegseth’s nomination on Nov. 13, 2024, was quickly tainted by a\u00a0resurfaced sexual assault allegation from 2017<\/a>.<\/p>\n According to a\u00a0police report<\/a>, his accuser alleged that the former Fox News host had sexually assaulted her at the 2017 California Federation of Republican Women biennial conference\u00a0\u2014 where Hegseth was the keynote speaker and the woman was an organizer.<\/p>\n Hegseth was never charged in connection to the incident. However, he\u00a0entered into a settlement agreement<\/a>\u00a0with the woman, which included monetary compensation and a confidentiality clause, per\u00a0CNN<\/a>.<\/p>\n On Jan. 23,\u00a0The Associated Press<\/a>\u00a0reported that the settlement payment amounted to $50,000.<\/p>\n When the police report resurfaced, Hegseth’s attorney, Timothy Parlatore, told\u00a0CNN<\/a>: \u201cThis police report confirms what I\u2019ve said all along, that the incident was fully investigated, and police found the allegations to be false, which is why no charges were filed.”<\/p>\n Trump’s transition team expressed similar sentiments one day later, claiming police found the allegations to be false \u2014 though authorities only concluded that they did not have enough evidence to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.<\/p>\n During his Senate confirmation hearing, Hegseth denied the allegations and said they were “anonymous, false charges.\u201d<\/p>\n The scandal involving Hegseth grew when\u00a0The New York Times<\/em><\/a>\u00a0obtained a 2018 email from Penelope Hegseth, the Fox News host’s mother. In the correspondence, she called him “despicable” and\u00a0“an abuser of women,”<\/a>\u00a0though she told the outlet she rescinded her thoughts to her son one day later.<\/p>\n![\"resident-elect](\"https:\/\/people.com\/thmb\/ZS_ULG_l6BuFVM6RuRASwsPMAfY=\/4000x0\/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(1303x398:1305x400):format(webp)\/Pete-Hegseth-Confirmation-Hearing-011425-0af16102e5b94c8091c9bd71677fd746.jpg\")
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