The US Senate has confirmed army veteran and Fox News contributor Pete Hegseth as the next secretary of defense on Friday.
Vice President J.D. Vance arrived in the chamber and cast the tie-breaking vote, sealing Hegseth’s appointment.
Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, and Mitch McConnell broke ranks and joined the Democrats in voting no.
Hegseth, who wrote a book about the need to restore a “warrior culture,” has promised to boost combat-readiness and the prestige of military service.
During his confirmation hearing earlier this month, he pledged to be “laser-focused on warfighting, lethality, meritocracy, standards, and readiness.”
President Donald Trump said Hegseth will be “a courageous and patriotic champion of our ‘Peace through Strength’ policy.”