Pete Hegseth receives a major setback as key Republicans announce they will not support Trump’s nominee for defense secretary

Pete Hegseth’s battle to be Donald Trump’s defense secretary is hanging by a thread after suffering a major blow in his nomination process.

The former Fox News host has faced a flurry of salacious accusations about his personal life – including excessive drinking, infidelity, and sexual abuse.

Now two Republican Senators – Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins – have said they will vote ‘no’ during his confirmation vote later this week.

Hegseth has strenuously denied the allegations, calling them nothing more than a smear against a veteran who wants to transform the U.S. military.

His supporters in the GOP have also accused Democrats of using the same tactics deployed against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his fraught nomination process.

Hegseth, 44, needs 51 votes in the Senate to be confirmed as the Secretary of Defense.

If he only gets 50, Vice President J.D. Vance would need to brought in to make the tie-breaking vote.

Now, on cusp of the former TV host getting a full confirmation vote by all 100 senators, the lawmakers took to X to post their ‘serious concerns’ about the 44-year-old’s fitness for the job.

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to be Defense Secretary, poses for a photo with Cabinet picks, other nominees and appointments, at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, 67, posted on X Thursday she will not support Hegseth for secretary of defense 

Hegseth and his wife Jennifer with Trump at a football game 

‘While the allegations of sexual assault and excessive drinking do nothing to quiet my concerns, the past behaviors Mr. Hegseth has admitted to, including infidelity on multiple occasions, demonstrate a lack of judgment that is unbecoming of someone who would lead our armed forces,’ the 67-year-old Murkoswki wrote. 

‘Given the global security environment we’re operating in, it is critical that we confirm a Secretary of Defense, however, I regret that I am unable to support Mr. Hegseth.’ 

The loss of her vote means Hegseth’s chances of getting confirmed are narrowing. 

Just minutes after Murkowski’s announcement, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine also announced in a similar post on X that she too would not be backing Hegseth, further sinking his odds. 

‘After careful consideration, I have decided to vote against Pete Hegseth’s nomination for Secretary of Defense,’ Collins posted. 

‘The next Secretary of Defense will be responsible for managing a massive bureaucracy that includes nearly three million employees and a budget of nearly $850 billion,’ she wrote before noting ‘his limited managerial experience involved running two small non-profit organizations that had decidedly mixed results.’

Still, Hegseth did cross a procedural hurdle Thursday as the Senate voted to end debate on his nomination. Soon the vote on his confirmation will be put before the whole Senate. 

Other GOP lawmakers have also been skeptical of the former TV host’s qualifications like Sens. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and John Curtis of Utah.

Republicans carry a 53 – 47 majority in the Senate, so if several GOP lawmakers don’t back Hegseth, he will not get confirmed. 

Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski speaks to the press in the Ohio Clock Corridor in the US Capitol in Washington, DC, USA, 22 January 2025

Pete Hegseth, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense, and his wife Jennifer Rauchet arrive for a meeting at the Hart Senate Office Building on January 8, 2025 in Washington, DC

Though VP JD Vance could step in to break a tie should he need to due to his role as president of the Senate. 

‘Although he has recently revised his statements on women in combat since being nominated, I remain concerned about the message that confirming Mr. Hegseth sends to women currently serving and those aspiring to join,’ she continued about the nominee’s past suggestion women should not serve in combat roles.

‘Women have served our nation with distinction, overcoming immense obstacles to excel in combat and leadership roles, and they deserve to know that their leader honors and values their commitment to our nation.’ 

Murkowski’s condemnation of Hegseth’s nomination comes just days after a bombshell report revealed fresh allegations against the embattled Trump pick. 

Testimony given by Danielle Hegseth – the ex-wife of Hegseth’s brother – was obtained by the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, NBC News first reported. 

Danielle writes in a sworn affidavit that Samantha Hegseth, who was Pete’s spouse from 2010 to 2017, was scared for her safety due to her then-husband’s actions. 

In the affidavit Danielle Hegseth cites private conversations the two had at the time as the basis for her claims, saying Samantha disclosed Pete’s ‘erratic and aggressive behavior over many years.’ 

Pete and his ex-wife Samantha Hegseth

The nominee, however, completely denied the allegations. 

‘Mr. Hegseth categorically denies every word of every allegation,’ an aide for Hegseth told DailyMail.com in a statement. 

‘I would also refer you to Samantha Hegseth’s statement, which says these statements are false, and the court document that the Armed Services Committee submitted for the record attesting to this fact,’ they continued. 

Samantha Hegseth also poured cold water on the fresh claims, telling NBC News of the allegations: ‘I do not believe your information to be accurate, and I have cc’d my lawyer.

‘There was no physical abuse in my marriage. This is the only further statement I will make to you, I have let you know that I am not speaking and will not speak on my marriage to Pete. Please respect this decision.’

Tennessee Republican Sen. Bill Hagerty later decried the allegations on the Senate floor. 

‘This isn’t journalism,’ he claimed. ‘This is a hit job.’ 

‘The American people are sick and tired of the deception stemming from this alliance between the Democrat Party and the so-called mainstream media.’