McConnell votes to advance Hegseth for defense secretary. Final vote set for Friday

David Catanese, McClatchy Washington Bureau on Jan 24, 2025

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

WASHINGTON — After weeks of speculation, Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell voted Thursday to put Pete Hegseth on the brink of confirmation to become the nation’s next defense secretary.

The procedural vote of 51-49 put the Fox News host on the path for approval Friday evening, after senators engage in 30 hours of debate. If McConnell would’ve voted “no,” it would’ve forced Vice President J.D. Vance to break a tie on the Senate floor.

McConnell’s vote was of great interest for weeks as troubling allegations piled up against Hegseth, including sexual assault, alcohol abuse and instilling fear in his second wife.

Two Republican women — senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine — broke with their party to oppose Hegseth, citing his lack of management experience, accusations of financial impropriety and his past statements that women shouldn’t serve in the military.

All 47 Democrats voted in unison against Hegseth.

McConnell, who had not previously declared his position, did not make a statement explaining his vote.

It’s important to remember that the first cloture vote simply allows for senators to proceed on debate of the nominee, and may not equate to a vote of ultimate support.

But in most instances, senators keep the pair of votes consistent.

“It’s quite possible he could flip on final passage, but for a guy who has long cared about reputation and wanting to go down as a great Senate leader, McConnell can never quite put aside his deep partisanship/value on what’s good for the party,” said Brian Rosenwald, a political historian at the University of Pennsylvania.

But even if McConnell flipped on the final vote, Democrats would need a fourth Republican to block Hegseth’s nomination.

A final vote is expected around 9 p.m. Friday after a daylong debate on the Senate floor.

Hegseth’s path to the nomination continues to be rocky, with a new report revealing he paid $50,000 to a woman who accused him of sexual assault in 2017, an incident he’s denied.

But after they clear Hegseth, Republicans are set to approve more nominees of President Donald Trump, including Kristi Noem, his choice to lead the Department of Homeland Security.

Senators also approved John Ratcliffe to be CIA director.

“I am encouraged by Mr. Ratcliffe’s experience and determination to lead CIA professionals in confronting the most significant national security challenges facing America,” McConnell said after Ratcliffe’s approval. “Congress will need to resource their efforts accordingly, and from the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee I look forward to working with Director Ratcliffe in the years ahead to keep America’s enemies at bay and secure our critical interests around the world.”

_____