GOP senator reneged on voting against Hegseth

Pete Hegseth and Sen. Thom Tillis

(Image credit: Al Drago / Bloomberg via Getty Images)

published 28 January 2025

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.

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.

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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."

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.