Sen. Lisa Murkowski said Thursday she will vote against Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth, who is facing a barrage of accusations about his personal conduct, making the Alaska Republican the first in her party to oppose one of President Donald Trump’s cabinet picks.
Murkowski, after making her announcement, was joined by Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, in casting votes Thursday against ending a filibuster by Democrats, thus clearing the way for a Senate vote on Hegseth’s nomination Friday. Thursday’s vote was 51-49 in favor and since there are 53 Republicans in the Senate he will need at least 50 of their votes for confirmation (Vice President JD Vance would then cast the tiebreaker vote).
“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,” Murkowski said in a prepared statement. “These behaviors starkly contrast the values and discipline expected of servicemembers. Men and women in uniform are held accountable for such actions, and they deserve leaders who uphold these same standards.”
Alaska’s other senator, Republican Dan Sullivan, has enthusiastically endorsed Hegseth.
Hegseth is facing allegations that include infidelity, sexual assault and excessive drinking, including a sworn statement submitted to the Senate on Tuesday by a former sister-in-law which describes him as frequently intoxicated and “abusive” toward his second wife. He has denied the allegations, calling them “anonymous smears,” and Senate Republicans largely have either expressed their support of his nomination or declined to comment on the allegations.
Murkowski, in her statement, also expressed concern about Hegseth’s experience not being sufficient to lead the Pentagon. Hegseth, 44, is an Army National Guard veteran with combat experience and former Fox News Channel weekend host, but has no management background suggesting he’s ready to run an $800 billion department with about 1.3 million active-duty troops and another 1.4 million in the National Guard and other posts.
“I commend Pete Hegseth’s service to our nation, including leading troops in combat and advocating for our veterans,” Murkowski said. “However, these accomplishments do not alleviate my significant concerns regarding his nomination. 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. His leadership of two veteran organizations was marked with accusations of financial mismanagement and problems with the workplace culture he fostered.”
Also cited by Murkowski were remarks by Hegseth such as asserting the military has lowered standards to include women in combat.
”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 said.
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at mark.sabbatini@juneauempire.com or 907-957-2306.
