(Julianna Frieman, Headline USA) Vice President J.D. Vance cast the tie-breaking vote Friday night to confirm Pete Hegseth as defense secretary after three GOP senators voted against President Donald Trump’s nominee.
The final vote came down to a stalemate when Sens. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, voted no. Vance swooped in to break the tie in the upper chamber before 10 p.m., ending the vote in a 51-50 confirmation of Hegseth.
🚨BREAKING: Vice President JD Vance casts the decisive vote, confirming Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense, 51-50
pic.twitter.com/RGmKfQHVb7— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) January 25, 2025
I thought I was done voting in the senate 😂
— JD Vance (@JDVance) January 25, 2025
“I thought I was done voting in the senate,” Vance, formerly the senator from Ohio, wrote on X.
After voting against Hegseth, McConnell was seen walking over to Senate Democrats and joining them in celebration of their dissent.
🚨 WTF? Mitch McConnell immediately walked over and CELEBRATED with the Democrats after voting against Hegseth
This man HAS TO GO in 2026.
The people of Kentucky voted for Trump’s mandate—not this anti-Trump BS. pic.twitter.com/bfFZtayx51
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) January 25, 2025
Trump just confirmed Mitch McConnell is politically irrelevant.
When told about McConnell’s backstabbing vote on Hegseth, he said: “I didn’t even know that. I just heard that we won. Winning is what matters right?”
Yes. And Mitch McConnell is a LOSER.pic.twitter.com/hLWDhJj7LG
— Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) January 25, 2025
Trump dismissed McConnell as irrelevant when he said “winning is what matters” as he departed from Los Angeles after assessing California’s fire devastation.
The president celebrated Hegseth’s confirmation when he wrote on Truth Social, “Congratulations to Pete Hegseth. He will make a great Secretary of Defense!”
Murkowski announced her opposition to Hegseth in a lengthy social media post hours before the Senate voted, casting doubt on the former Fox News host’s “character.” Collins did the same, suggesting Hegseth “does not have the managerial experience and background” to tackle “incredibly complex problems” faced by the U.S. Department of Defense.
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., stole a glint of spotlight leading up to the vote as he was not locked in as a supporter of Trump’s nominee. Ultimately, Tillis joined the majority of his fellow Republicans and voted to confirm Hegseth.
“From the beginning, I have been clear about my position: If President Trump’s nominees were reported favorably out of relevant committees, I would support their confirmation on the Senate floor absent new material information about their qualifications,” Tillis wrote on social media Friday night.
All of the Democrats opposed Hegseth’s confirmation in a vote that looked strikingly different from Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s unanimous 99-0 confirmation on Monday.
Thank you for your confidence Mr. President.
Thank you for the tie-breaker Mr. Vice President.
Thank you Senators for 50 votes.
This is for the troops. For the warriors. For our country.
America First. Every day. We will never back down. 🇺🇸
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) January 25, 2025
“Thank you for your confidence Mr. President. Thank you for the tie-breaker Mr. Vance. Thank you Senators for 50 votes,” Hegseth wrote on X as soon as he was confirmed.
The defense secretary added, “This is for the troops. For the warriors. For our country. America First. Every day. We will never back down.”
Julianna Frieman is a freelance writer published by the Daily Caller, Headline USA, The Federalist, and the American Spectator. Follow her on Twitter at @JuliannaFrieman.
