Pete Hegseth was sworn in as Secretary of Defense on Saturday after a narrow Senate vote confirmed his nomination. The vote, split 50-50, required Vice President JD Vance to cast the tie-breaking vote. Former GOP leader Mitch McConnell joined Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, along with all Democrats, in voting against Hegseth. Hegseth is a former Fox News host and National Guard veteran, vowed to restore the Department of Defense’s “warfighting ethos” and emphasized his commitment to putting “America First.” His nomination faced intense scrutiny over past misconduct allegations, which he has denied. McConnell criticized Hegseth’s lack of experience in managing the department’s vast operations.