Alaska U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski said Thursday that she would vote against confirming Pete Hegseth to lead the U.S. Department of Defense. The state’s other senator, Dan Sullivan, said he supports Hegseth.
Republicans have a 53-seat majority in the U.S. Senate. Three Republicans in addition to Murkowski would need to join all Democrats and independents to block Hegseth from leading the Pentagon.
The Senate on Thursday voted 51-49 to advance Hegseth’s nomination. All but two Republicans — Murkowski and Maine Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins — voted in support of Hegseth.
A final confirmation vote for President Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary is expected Friday evening in D.C.
Shortly before Thursday’s procedural vote, Murkowski posted an expansive statement on social media explaining why she said she could not support Hegseth.
Murkowski cited allegations against Hegseth of sexual assault and excessive drinking. She said his nomination “poses significant concerns” that she could not overlook.
“Managing the Department of Defense requires vast experience and expertise as the department is one of the most complex and powerful organizations in the world, and Mr. Hegseth’s prior roles in his career do not demonstrate to me that he is prepared for such immense responsibility,” Murkowski said. “His leadership of two veteran organizations was marked with accusations of financial mismanagement and problems with the workplace culture he fostered.”
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 23, 2025
Murkowski also expressed concerns about Hegseth’s past statements on women serving in combat.
“I remain concerned about the message that confirming Mr. Hegseth sends to women currently serving and those aspiring to join,” she said on social media.
Sen. Dan Sullivan, Alaska’s other senator and also a Republican, supported Hegseth in Thursday’s procedural vote.
“After a number of substantive discussions with Pete Hegseth, including during his confirmation hearing, I am confident Mr. Hegseth will work to refocus our military on lethality, warfighting and peace through strength, as well as getting rid of the damaging woke policies of the Biden administration, some of which I witnessed firsthand as a Marine Corps Reserve Officer,” Sullivan said through an emailed statement.
Hegseth also offered assurances that he “understands the important role that women play in our military, including in combat, as well as the strategic importance of Alaska,” Sullivan added.
Hegseth served in the Minnesota Army National Guard. Prior to being nominated to lead the Pentagon by Trump, Hegseth worked for Fox News as a weekend anchor.
The U.S. Department of Defense employs nearly 3.4 million people, including service members and civilians. The department has an $850 billion budget.