By THOMAS BEAUMONT, Related Press
Pete Hegseth was sworn in Saturday because the nation’s twenty ninth secretary of protection, rapidly becoming a member of President Trump’s Cupboard after a dramatic late-night vote within the Senate put in him because the Pentagon’s chief.
Hegseth took the oath from Vice President JD Vance within the Eisenhower Government Workplace Constructing with Hegseth’s spouse, Jennifer Rauchet, at his facet and Republican senators wanting on. The ceremony got here lower than 12 hours after Vance broke a 50-50 tie within the Senate to narrowly seal Hegseth’s affirmation.
In short remarks, Hegseth outlined what he mentioned had been his guiding rules: “Restore the warrior ethos in everything that we do, rebuild our military and reestablish deterrence.”
“We don’t want to fight wars,” he added. “We want to deter them … and we want to end them responsibly. But if we need to fight them, we’re going to bring overwhelming and decisive force to close with and destroy the enemy and bring our boys home.”
He thanked Vance for his tiebreaking vote and joked that his youngsters had been completely happy their father “won in overtime.”
“It is the honor of a lifetime, sir, to serve under you,” Hegseth mentioned, in thanking Trump, who was in Las Vegas on Saturday.
The unusually slender affirmation for a protection secretary got here after questions from members in each events over Hegseth’s {qualifications} to steer the navy, particularly amid allegations of heavy alcohol use and aggressive habits towards ladies.
For Hegseth, the challenges forward are steep, as he takes cost of a sprawling forms at a time of extreme challenges across the globe.
He enters workplace with far much less expertise than trendy protection secretaries earlier than him, acknowledging throughout his affirmation listening to that he’ll must construct an skilled crew as he settles into the job. “I want smarter and more capable people around me than me, and you will get that at the department,” he mentioned in his testimony.
Hegseth additionally lacks the broad bipartisan help that the majority have dropped at the function. Each Senate Democrat voted in opposition to Hegseth’s affirmation, as did three Republicans deeply skeptical of his {qualifications} for the job.
Including to the acrimony, Hegseth refused to fulfill with any Democrats earlier than affirmation, breaking from custom.
However the Republican-led Senate was decided to substantiate Hegseth and spherical out Trump’s high nationwide safety crew.
Democrats, the minority within the Senate, had helped verify Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe in bipartisan votes. However they fiercely opposed Hegseth, with even the highest Democrat on the Armed Companies Committee refusing to help him.
Reacting to the vote, Senate Democratic chief Charles Schumer of New York mentioned Republicans have “entrusted the most powerful military in the world to someone with no experience, terrible judgment and serious flaws of character.”
“I hope for the sake of our troops and the good of our country that he can eventually grow into the job,” Schumer mentioned on the Senate flooring.
Three Republicans — Sens. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska — additionally voted in opposition to Hegseth, questioning his {qualifications} for the job.
Hegseth confronted allegations that he sexually assaulted a lady at a Republican convention in California, although he has denied the claims and mentioned the encounter was consensual. He later paid $50,000 to the lady.
Hegseth additionally had promised throughout his affirmation hearings that he wouldn’t drink whereas on the job, had been he to be confirmed.
In the meantime, his opposition to ladies in fight turned a difficulty after Trump introduced his selection in November. However, within the face of questions from Congress, Hegseth appeared to shifted.
Requested concerning the difficulty on the “Megyn Kelly Show” in early December, Hegseth mentioned he cares solely that navy requirements are maintained. Ladies serve in fight, he mentioned, and, “if we have the right standard and women meet that standard, roger. Let’s go.”
Hegseth advised senators that he helps ladies within the navy however desires to evaluate requirements to ensure they aren’t lowered to accommodate ladies.
On the swearing-in ceremony, a query directed to Hegseth about why ladies within the armed companies ought to belief him was answered by Vance.
“All people in our armed services should trust him because he looks out for them and he is going to fight for them,” Vance mentioned.
Beaumont reported from Des Moines, Iowa.
