GOP senator reneged on voting against Hegseth

North Carolina senator Thom Tillis provided the deciding vote to confirm Pete Hegseth as defense secretary

Pete Hegseth and Sen. Thom Tillis
Pete Hegseth and Sen. Thom Tillis
(Image credit: Al Drago / Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

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.