Thune sets up votes to confirm Hegseth by week’s end
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) put the procedural wheels in motion to confirm embattled secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth by the end of the week.
Senate Republicans are moving ahead quickly on Hegseth’s nomination despite an affidavit from his former sister-in-law obtained by Senate Democrats that accuses him of having an alcohol problem and being abusive to his ex-wife Samantha Hegseth.
Samantha Hegseth issued a statement to NBC News denying there was “physical abuse” in their marriage.
Thune on Tuesday filed a motion to end debate on Hegseth’s nomination, which was voted out of the Senate Armed Committee on a party-line 14-13 vote a few hours after President Trump took the oath of office.
That means the Senate will vote to advance Hegseth’s nomination sometime Thursday, setting up a final vote sometime Friday and, possibly, early Saturday morning.
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) told reporters that Republicans are willing to work into the weekend to confirm him.
“The next would be on cloture, and that would be Thursday afternoon,” Wicker told reporters.
Wicker dismissed the affidavit alleging that Samantha Hegseth once hid in her closet from the nominee because she feared for her safety.
“I have not reviewed the document. My reaction is that I have grave doubts as to the substance,” Wicker told reporters.
Wicker pointed to Samantha Hegseth’s statement denying that there was any physical abuse in the relationship.
“I think the nomination is going to go forward and the next vote is going to be Thursday,” he said.
He said Democrats could delay a final vote on Hegseth until “late on Friday night.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a prominent Republican vote on national security issues, dismissed the latest allegation.
“I heard what his wife said. It didn’t happen. I’m getting tired of this stuff being dropped at the last moment,” Graham said.
“You got the person who denies being physically abused. That’s it for me,” he said.
Asked about Hegseth’s former sister-in-law’s sworn claims that the nominee frequently drank to excess, Graham waved off the question: “Nah, I’m good.”
He reiterated he would vote for Hegseth.
Democrats said the affidavit is the latest evidence that Hegseth is unfit to lead the Pentagon.
“These first-hand observations are highly significant and credible and hopefully will persuade my Republican colleagues that Hegseth is unfit to be secretary of Defense,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), a member of the Senate Armed Services panel.
“There was no question that Pete Hegseth is unqualified and unprepared to be secretary of Defense. The affidavit adds additional weight to a case that is already overwhelming against him,” he added.
Senators will move to Hegseth Thursday after voting to confirm former Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-Texas) to serve as Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) director earlier Thursday.
Republicans had tried to confirm Ratcliffe to the post on Tuesday evening by Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.).
“I just think we should have a full debate on Ratcliffe. A lot of us have real reservations about somebody with a history of politicizing intelligence, like they demanded a full debate on most all of Biden’s Cabinet and sub-Cabinet nominees,” Murphy told The Hill.
“I think it’s pretty rich that Republicans blocked hundreds of Biden’s national security nominees and are now complaining when we’re simply asking for two days of debate on one of the most important members of Trump’s national security team,” he said.
Thune said Tuesday evening that he now expects the next procedural vote on Hegseth to take place Thursday and a final vote to happen late Friday or “conceivably” early Saturday morning.