Watch: JD Vance Casts Tie-Breaker Vote Confirming Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense

The vote was far too close for comfort, and for all the wrong reasons — yet, by the end of the day, Pete Hegseth secured his role as the next head of the Pentagon, thanks to a decisive tie-breaking vote from Vice President J.D. Vance.
Although confirmation hearings for the former Fox News host, military veteran, and conservative activist were expected to be heated, they initially proceeded with ease. However, a last-minute curveball nearly derailed the process: an affidavit from Hegseth’s former sister-in-law, alleging threats to his ex-wife’s safety, alongside recycled accusations of excessive drinking and erratic behavior.
“There is no basis to credit this deeply flawed and questionable affidavit, which was submitted at the 11th hour in a clear and admitted partisan attempt to derail Mr. Hegseth’s confirmation,” stated a response letter from Hegseth’s attorney, Tim Parlatore.
Moreover, The Wall Street Journal noted that court records from the divorce proceedings between Samantha and Pete Hegseth contained no claims of domestic abuse on either side.
Still, as the Senate prepared to vote Friday evening, four Republican senators emerged as potential obstacles: Susan Collins of Maine, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Thom Tillis of North Carolina.
Collins and Murkowski are often at the center of such dramas, and McConnell’s resistance was another instance of the establishment pushing back. Tillis, however, was an unexpected addition to the group, stating on Thursday that he was “completing due diligence” on Hegseth.
Without gaining a Democratic vote — an outcome about as plausible as the Buddha appearing on the Senate floor mid-debate — losing all four GOP votes would have sealed the nomination's defeat, given the Republican majority of just 53-47.
But as voting began just after 9 p.m. Eastern, Tillis declared his support for Hegseth, releasing a statement on social media: “I conducted my own due diligence, including asking tough questions of Pete,” he wrote, adding that he would “support his confirmation and look forward to working with him to rebuild our military and advance President Trump’s peace through strength agenda.”
From the beginning, I have been clear about my position: if President Trump’s nominees were reported favorably out of the relevant committees, I would support their confirmation on the Senate floor absent new material information about their qualifications. Once Pete Hegseth’s…
— Senator Thom Tillis (@SenThomTillis) January 25, 2025
This left the tie-breaking decision to Vice President Vance.
JD Vance casts the tie-breaking vote — confirming Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense! pic.twitter.com/pxWTDwjXji
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) January 25, 2025
Hegseth’s confirmation marks only the second time in U.S. history that a cabinet nomination required a vice-presidential tie-breaker. The first occurred in 2017, when then-Vice President Mike Pence cast the deciding vote for Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.
Democrats, unsurprisingly, expressed their frustration that the onslaught of character attacks against Hegseth failed to derail the nomination.
“Unfortunately my Republican colleagues really proved spineless, and this vote may well haunt him,” remarked Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut.
Blumenthal, infamous for his own controversies regarding false claims of service in Vietnam, is familiar with military records clouding a career. Still, the greater concern for Republicans — and a potential consolation for Democrats — lies in the fact that Hegseth’s confirmation even required such a narrow margin.
Before his hearings, Hegseth was seen as a test case for Trump’s unconventional, anti-establishment nominees. By most accounts, he performed admirably, answering personal questions with clarity and giving the impression of a capable “change agent” who could challenge the Pentagon’s entrenched bureaucracy. The last-minute affidavit, vague and largely unsubstantial, offered little that could be corroborated or refuted.
This should have been a straightforward confirmation, regardless of opposition from Collins and Murkowski, who often find themselves “on the wrong side of reason” in these scenarios.
McConnell’s opposition is a more troubling sign. If he intends to block the president’s nominees in a bid to uphold an outdated establishment that voters have repeatedly rejected, this confirmation process could devolve into a drawn-out and infuriating ordeal.
As for Tillis, his decision-making appears inconsistent at best. Let’s hope no future nominee is left in limbo because his process resembles consulting a Magic 8-ball that reads, “Reply hazy, try again later.”
That said, J.D. Vance delivered when it counted. Pete Hegseth is now set to serve as the next secretary of defense, and for at least one evening, all is right in the world. As for the razor-thin vote, let’s hope it was an anomaly rather than a new norm.