GOP senator reneged on voting against Hegseth
North Carolina senator Thom Tillis provided the deciding vote to confirm Pete Hegseth as defense secretary
What happened
Most of President Donald Trump's successful Cabinet nominees so far — including, as of Monday evening, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent — were confirmed by comfortable margins. But Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth squeaked by 51 to 50, with Vice President J.D. Vance casting the second-ever tie-breaking vote for a Cabinet secretary.
Who said what
Tillis (R-N.C.) "personally assured Danielle Hegseth" that if she signed a sworn statement "testifying that she believed her former brother-in-law" has "an alcohol abuse problem and was abusive to his second wife, it would carry weight, and potentially move three votes" — his and those of Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), the Journal said, citing two other witnesses to the reported conversation.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Danielle Hegseth relayed her allegations in a sworn affidavit, saying she was doing so only because she had been "assured" the public statement would "ensure that certain senators who are still on the fence will vote against Hegseth's confirmation." Murkowski, Collins and Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) voted no. Tillis told the Journal her testimony "did carry weight," but after "days doing my due diligence" and speaking with Pete Hegseth, he was "not able to speak with anyone who provided firsthand corroboration."
What next?
Hegseth had his first full day at the Pentagon Monday, previewing a series of executive orders Trump issued Monday night, including the precursors to a ban on transgender troops and a space-based missile defense system.
-
Syria’s Kurds: abandoned by their US allyTalking Point Ahmed al-Sharaa’s lightning offensive against Syrian Kurdistan belies his promise to respect the country’s ethnic minorities
-
The ‘mad king’: has Trump finally lost it?Talking Point Rambling speeches, wind turbine obsession, and an ‘unhinged’ letter to Norway’s prime minister have caused concern whether the rest of his term is ‘sustainable’
-
5 highly hypocritical cartoons about the Second AmendmentCartoons Artists take on Kyle Rittenhouse, the blame game, and more
-
Why is Tulsi Gabbard trying to relitigate the 2020 election now?Today's Big Question Trump has never conceded his loss that year
-
Trump sues IRS for $10B over tax record leaksSpeed Read The president is claiming ‘reputational and financial harm’ from leaks of his tax information between 2018 and 2020
-
Trump, Senate Democrats reach DHS funding dealSpeed Read The deal will fund most of the government through September and the Department of Homeland Security for two weeks
-
Did Alex Pretti’s killing open a GOP rift on guns?Talking Points Second Amendment groups push back on the White House narrative
-
Fed holds rates steady, bucking Trump pressureSpeed Read The Federal Reserve voted to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged
-
Judge slams ICE violations amid growing backlashSpeed Read ‘ICE is not a law unto itself,’ said a federal judge after the agency violated at least 96 court orders
-
Rep. Ilhan Omar attacked with unknown liquidSpeed Read This ‘small agitator isn’t going to intimidate me from doing my work’
-
Democrats pledge Noem impeachment if not firedSpeed Read Trump is publicly defending the Homeland Security secretary
