Pete Hegseth Confirmed as U.S. Defense Secretary; plus Added Insights

In an article made available to this writer for MHProNews and this Patch by the Daily Signal is the following in Part I which will be followed by additional information and other topics in Part II.

Many veterans, their families, and MAGA supporters will see this as a victory. Recruitments, per sources, are already up since President Donald J. Trump won re-election.

Part I

President Donald Trump’s defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth was confirmed in a 51-50 vote as Vice President J.D. Vance broke a tie in the Senate Friday, ending one of the most contentious and vital confirmation battles of Trump’s early administration.

Vance’s tie-breaking vote to confirm a cabinet member was the second in American history after Mike Pence did the same to confirm Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education in the first Trump administration.

I thought I was done voting in the senate 😂
— JD Vance (@JDVance) January" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://twitter.com/JDVance/st... 25, 2025

Hegseth, an Army veteran and former Fox News anchor, is the epitome of Donald Trump’s campaign to dethrone the established elites from their seats of power, as he does not come from a high-ranking position in the armed forces.

Hegseth faced a salvo of accusations related to his relationships with alcohol and women, and whether he had the professional credentials to run the Defense Department. He pledged to refrain from drinking alcohol if confirmed and denied an allegation of sexual assault.

In December, Trump praised Hegseth as possessing a “Military state of mind,” and noted his degrees from Princeton University and Harvard University.

“He will be a fantastic, high energy, Secretary of Defense … one who leads with charisma and skill. Pete is a WINNER, and there is nothing that can be done to change that!!!” Trump added in a Truth Social post.

As the confirmation process went on, Hegseth began to consolidate support, especially after a strong performance in his confirmation hearing.

Ultimately, Hegseth successfully won over most Republican senators. The only defectors on the GOP side were Sens. Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins and Mitch McConnell, with Vice President JD Vance breaking the tie to secure Hegseth’s nomination.

Murkowski, who in the past opposed Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination and supported numerous Biden administration appointees, explained her vote against Hegseth ahead of time on X.

Since Mr. Hegseth’s nomination last November, I have met with him and carefully reviewed his writings, various reports, and other pertinent materials. I closely followed his hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee and gathered substantial feedback from organizations,…
— Sen. Lisa Murkowski (@lisamurkowski) January" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://twitter.com/lisamurkow... 23, 2025

“Mr. Hegseth’s prior roles in his career do not demonstrate to me that he is prepared for such immense responsibility,” wrote Murkowski.

Trump lightly criticized Mitch McConnell and others for their opposition Friday, telling the press, “I was very surprised that Collins and Murkowski would do that. And of course, Mitch is always a ‘no’ vote, I guess.”

The situation began to look dire hours before the vote Friday, as rumors began to swirl that Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., would vote against Hegseth.

But Sen. Thom Tillis announced his support for Hegseth’s nomination in an X post Friday evening, saving the nominee and allowing Vance to cast a tie-breaking vote.

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" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://twitter.com/SenThomTil... 25, 2025

Tillis said that he had asked “tough questions of Pete and … appreciated his candor and openness in answering them.”

“Pete has a unique perspective as a veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and is unquestionably passionate about modernizing our military and supporting the brave patriots like himself who serve our nation,” Tillis continued.

Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., said on X that Hegseth’s confirmation goes a long way towards restoring the lethality and readiness of the armed forces.

“It was an honor to support his nomination, and I look forward to seeing him restore trust in the Department of Defense by prioritizing war fighters over bureaucrats.”

Part II - Additional Information plus Other Topics

On 1.25.2025 at 1:06 AM ET Pete Hegseth's X account has this self-description.

Christian | American | Husband | Father | Author | Veteran | SecDef29

The following are from X.com.

Pete Hegseth posted this.

Thank you for your confidence Mr. President.

Thank you for the tie-breaker Mr. Vice President.

Thank you Senators for 50 votes.

This is for the troops. For the warriors. For our country.

America First. Every day. We will never back down. 🇺🇸
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) January" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://twitter.com/PeteHegset... 25, 2025

For more on Trump 2.0, or what I like to sometimes call T2, as well as other subjects, please see the following. Thanks for checking in.

> Dystopia v Utopia+Golden Age of USA. Will Trump be on Mount Rushmore?

> Executive Orders on Investigating Biden Censorship & Weaponization

> President Donald J. Trump’s Official 'America First Priorities'

> Frank Miele via RCP: Crazy Like a Fox: Trump’s Greenland Pitch

> Manzanita Miller 'Citizens-First Immigration Reform is Top of Mind'

> HUD Sec Nominee E. Scott Turner: ‘HUD Has Failed Its Core Mission’

Trump Nom Turner: 'We’re not building enough housing. We need millions of homes of all kinds, single family, apartments, manufactured homes'

---

> CNN Panelists Rip Trump J6 Pardons-Scott Jennings ‘Inconvenient Truth’

> Unpack SBC's 'Why Self-Checkout Is No Longer Profitable for Retailers'

> TAP-‘Make it Legal to Build’ on YIMBY Movement–Remove Supply Barriers!

> Forgotten History Videos: Who Was the Real President Abraham Lincoln?

> Corp News Outlet Reportedly Lost Nearly 90% of Digital Readers in 4Yrs

> Report: ‘1 of 8 Christians Worldwide Persecuted for Faith in Jesus’

---

> AMAC Action Provides ‘Incredible Milestones Achieved in 2024’ Bullets

> LA Wildfire Disaster -What Does It Tell Us About Some in Govt Service?

> Josh Hammer: Andrew Breitbart-Mark Zuckerberg Two-Way Street of Speech

> 25% Weather 75% Incompetence per ex-Democratic California Lawmaker

> Floridian Dr István Dobozi Strikes at Trump Again in Magyar Article

---

> Biden says ‘Oligarchy of Extreme Wealth & Power Threatens Democracy'

> Is there Evidence that God Exists? Evolution vs. Intelligent Design

> Democratic Voters-Closer Look at Biden’s Acts Before Biden-Harris Exit

> Christian Leaders-Signs of 4th 'Great Awakening' Millions go to Jesus

> ALG Unpacks Trump Pitch to Cut Drug Costs by Cutting PBM Middleman

---

> USA Today - David Plouffe and Dem Advisers on Kamala Harris Revelation

> Majority OK Trump Transition-Mass Deportations-Tariffs- Is it Hopeful?

> Niskanen Center Praises Manufactured Home ‘Cost Savings’ and ‘Quality’

> Alice Carter-The Northern Forum-Deporting Immigrants & Housing Crisis

> Cartoons-Kamala Day 1, DOGE the Swamp, Brainwashing, & Out In the Cold

---

> The Creepy Line-Peter Schweizer-Dr. Jordan Peterson-Dr. Robert Epstein

> Secret State Miniseries - Fictional TV Series Shed Light on Reality

> Trump Transition Team Asked to Prioritize Affordable Housing Issues

> Top 10 States for Homelessness & Top Cities for Crime=Shocking Lessons

> WashPost-American Dream Fades But Assoc CEO Mark Weiss Shows Solution

---

> Why do Liars Lie? Why do those Engaged in Paltering and Spin Palter?

> Controversy-Manufactured Housing Institute-Lesli Gooch-Mark Bowersox

> ‘Mobile Home Values Rising Faster Than Single-Family’ House-Wow Fact$

> Realtor-What Is a Manufactured Home? The Next Step Beyond Mobile Homes

> Orlando RE Agent Smith-Younger Adults Will Need $8500 Monthly for Rent

---

> Blankley-Goodbye American Dream? Only 10% Polled Can Buy a House; But

> Frank Rolfe-Special Interests ‘Don’t Want to Solve Affordable Housing'

> TARK-‘I’m a Teen and Know the Solution to Affordable Housing Crisis’

---> Renting? Rent too High? Odds Are DOJ Suit vs RealPage Matters to You

> New-Certified “Half Price Homes” - Affordable Housing Solution Redux

---

> Solution: “Would-Be Homebuyers Need 80% More Income Than 4 Years Ago”

L. A. “Tony” Kovach is a publisher who has earned multiple awards in history. He and his family live in a manufactured home on private property in Winter Haven, FL. He is the co-founder of Manufactured Home Living News.com (MHLivingNews.com) and Manufactured Home Pro News.com (MHProNews.com), trade publications serving segments of the manufactured home industry. Having worked in several segments of the manufactured home industry for over 3 decades, Kovach is a widely acknowledged and often praised expert on manufactured housing. ###