Former Senate Republican Chief Mitch McConnell (Ky.), who stepped down from the management on the finish of final yr, solid a shock vote Friday evening in opposition to Pete Hegseth, President Trump’s controversial nominee to go the Division of Protection.
His vote got here as a shock after he voted Thursday evening to advance Hegseth’s nomination to a last vote.
McConnell stated that he didn’t believe in Hegseth’s potential to steer the Pentagon at a time of escalating nationwide safety threats posed by Russia, China, Iran and their proxies.
“Effective management of nearly 3 million military and civilian personnel, an annual budget of nearly $1 trillion, and alliances and partnerships around the world is a daily test with staggering consequences for the security of the American people and our global interests,” he stated in an announcement.
“Mr. Hegseth has failed, as yet, to demonstrate that he will pass this test. But as he assumes office, the consequences of failure are as high as they have ever been,” he stated.
McConnell stated that Hegseth throughout his affirmation listening to “provided no substantial observations on how to defend Taiwan or the Philippines against a Chinese attack, or even whether he believes the United States.”
He stated that Hegseth additionally “failed” to articulate in any element a strategic imaginative and prescient for countering rising Chinese language aggression within the Far East.
“Absent, too, was any substantive discussion of countering our adversaries’ alignment with deep alliance relationships and more extensive defense industrial cooperation of our own,” he stated.
The veteran Kentucky lawmaker had performed his playing cards near the vest and didn’t say something as he walked into the chamber.
Requested by reporters whether or not he would help Trump’s decide to steer the Pentagon, he solely raised his eyebrows in a mysterious gesture.
McConnell joined fellow Republican Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) in opposing Hegseth on the ultimate vote — forcing Vice President Vance to point out up on the Senate chamber to solid the tie-breaking vote to get the embattled nominee throughout the end line.
Senate Armed Providers Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) hinted earlier than the vote that there is perhaps some late-night drama.
Requested if Hegseth had the votes, Wicker stated: “I think we’ll probably need to see the vice president.”
Hegseth’s nomination met with objections from Collins and Murkowski in addition to many senior Democrats about his lack of managerial expertise.
Collins stated in an announcement Thursday that she was “concerned that Mr. Hegseth does not have the management experience and background that he will need in order to tackle” the “difficulties” going through the navy at a time of conflicts within the Center East and Europe and “escalating threats” within the Pacific.
Hegseth had confronted allegations that he sexually assaulted a lady at a Republican convention in Monterery, California, in 2017, that he mismanaged the funds of two veterans’ teams that he led, and that he would get drunk at work occasions and whereas carrying a navy uniform.
Hegseth has promised Republican senators he would cease ingesting if confirmed as secretary of Protection.
Up to date at 10:01 p.m.
