In a significant development, Pete Hegseth, President Donald Trump's nominee for Secretary of Defense, secured confirmation with a narrow margin of 51 votes.
The confirmation, which took place on Friday evening, required Vice President JD Vance to step in and cast the decisive tie-breaking vote.
As reported by The Post Millennial, Senator Thom Tillis expressed his support for Hegseth's confirmation through a statement on X. Tillis emphasized his consistent stance on backing President Trump's nominees, provided they receive favorable reports from the relevant committees. "From the beginning," Tillis stated, "I have been clear about my position: if President Trumps 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."
He further elaborated on his thorough evaluation process, noting, "Once Pete Hegseths nomination was sent to the floor by my colleagues on the Senate Armed Services Committee, I conducted my own due diligence, including asking tough questions of Pete and I appreciated his candor and openness in answering them."
Hegseth's background as a veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars was highlighted by Tillis, who praised his dedication to modernizing the military and supporting service members. "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 remarked. He expressed optimism about collaborating with Hegseth to "rebuild our military and advance President Trumps peace through strength agenda." This confirmation marks a pivotal moment in the administration's efforts to bolster national defense and uphold conservative principles of strength and security.
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