The former Fox News host has been criticized for lacking experience and having a problematic background with alcohol problems and assaults – which contributed to three Republicans voting with the Democrats to reject Pete Hegseth.
The vote count ended up 50–50, and Vice President JD Vance was forced to come in to cast the tie-breaking vote.
"I thought I was done voting in the Senate," wrote Vance, who before becoming Vice President was a senator for Ohio, on X just before the vote.
This is the second time a Vice President has been called in to cast a tie-breaking vote regarding a minister.
Grave allegations
As recently as Wednesday, Hegseth's former sister-in-law stated in a sworn statement to senators that Hegseth often drank himself unconscious and vomited. Hegseth has denied these allegations through his lawyer, according to The New York Times.
These were not the first grave allegations to emerge about Trump's candidate.
In 2017, he was investigated for suspected sexual assaults. No charges were filed, and he claims the encounter was consensual. Hegseth has, however, admitted to paying the woman in question a sum of money, according to Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren $50,000.
Rejected questioning
He has previously admitted to not being "perfect" and claimed that he would be sober in the role of Defense Minister – but at the same time dismissed questions about his suitability as "slander".
Critics also believe that Hegseth lacks experience to lead a large authority like the Pentagon, with 2.9 million employees and a budget of $850 billion.
The two Republicans who had already announced before the vote that they would likely vote against Hegseth were Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins, both Trump critics during his first four years as president.
McConnell voted against
Even Republican Senator Mitch McConnell, former minority leader in the Senate, voted against Hegseth.
In a scathing statement shortly after the vote, McConnell emphasizes that the role of Defense Minister is particularly important given the current security situation in the world.
"Hegseth has yet to demonstrate that he will pass this test. But when he takes office, the consequences of failure will be higher than they ever were," McConnell writes according to CNN.
44-year-old Pete Hegseth has been a commentator and host on Fox News since 2014.
He has been a national guardsman and served in Cuba and Iraq.
Hegseth was investigated in 2017 for suspected sexual assaults, but no charges were filed.
Politically, he has questioned women's roles in combat and opposed a two-state solution to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.
