After strong opposition from Democrats and even some Republicans to his controversial candidate, President Donald Trump narrowly won enough votes on Friday to choose Pete Hegseth as the next US defense secretary.
When Vice President JD Vance arrived in the Senate to break the tie in his capacity as Senate president, three Republicans joined every Democrat and independent in voting against Hegseth, who was confirmed after a 50-50 Senate vote.
In a statement to the military, he emphasized “restoring the warrior ethos, rebuilding our military, and re-establishing deterrence.” Vance administered his oath of office on Saturday.
“We’ll cooperate with allies and partners to prevent Communist China from launching an invasion in the Indo-Pacific.
