The Senate will vote on Friday evening on the nomination of Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s controversial choose for US secretary of protection, however mounting issues over Hegseth’s private historical past and inexperience have raised doubts about his possibilities of affirmation.
Hegseth, a former Fox Information host and armed forces veteran, cleared a key procedural hurdle on Thursday, after 51 Republican senators voted to advance his nomination towards a ultimate vote. However two Senate Republicans, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, joined their Democratic colleagues in voting in opposition to advancing Hegseth’s nomination due to their skepticism about his {qualifications}.
“After thorough analysis, I need to conclude that I can not in good conscience help his nomination for secretary of protection,” Murkowski mentioned in a press release on Thursday. “I commend Pete Hegseth’s service to our nation, together with main troops in fight and advocating for our veterans. Nonetheless, these accomplishments don’t alleviate my important issues concerning his nomination.”
Hegseth can solely afford to lose the votes of three Senate Republicans, assuming each Democratic senator opposes his nomination, so it seems he’s nonetheless on observe for affirmation. Two Republican senators who had been seen as potential no votes, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, each supported advancing Hegseth’s nomination on Thursday.
In a ground speech delivered on Friday, the Senate majority chief, Republican John Thune, praised Hegseth’s {qualifications} and predicted he would steer the Pentagon in a brand new, forward-thinking course.
“A veteran of the military nationwide guard who served excursions in Iraq and Afghanistan, Mr Hegseth will convey a warrior’s perspective to the position of protection secretary and can present much-needed recent air on the Pentagon,” Thune mentioned.
And but, Hegseth continues to be dogged by questions on allegations of sexual assault, extreme alcohol use and monetary mismanagement of two non-profits that he led. On Thursday, information broke that Hegseth paid $50,000 in a settlement to a lady who accused him of sexual assault in 2017.
A collection of podcast recordings unearthed by the Guardian additionally revealed that Hegseth seems to endorse the theocratic and authoritarian doctrine of “sphere sovereignty”, which is derived from the extremist beliefs of Christian reconstructionism. Within the recordings, Hegseth attacked “cultural Marxism”, feminism, “vital race concept” and democracy, which he mentioned “our founders blatantly rejected as being fully harmful”.
The Senate minority chief, Democrat Chuck Schumer, delivered a pointed ground speech highlighting the numerous accusations in opposition to Hegseth and imploring Republicans to reject “one of the vital erratic, unqualified and unfit cupboard nominees we’ve got ever seen in fashionable occasions”.
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“Is that this man, with a historical past of extreme consuming, actually the man you need on the opposite finish of the cellphone at 2am in a disaster, in command of the nuclear codes?” Schumer requested. “Briefly, we should always not, can not, should not elevate somebody as erratic as Pete Hegseth to secretary of protection. We are able to and should – should – do higher. I urge my colleagues to vote no.”
Regardless of that harsh criticism, Hegseth remains to be favored to be confirmed. The ultimate Senate vote on his nomination is anticipated to happen round 9pm on Friday evening.
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