Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullen expressed confidence Pete Hegseth He will be confirmed as Secretary of Defense, despite opposition from GOP moderates.
Hegseth cleared a procedural hurdle in the Senate on Thursday, setting up a final confirmation vote expected on Friday evening. But Sens Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, have each declared their opposition to his nomination, meaning the GOP can only afford one more defection before losing Hegseth.
Mullen, in an interview on “The Jay Benson Show” with guest host Jason Rantz, said there were a “tough” 50 votes for Hegseth to be confirmed and estimated he would get as many as 52 votes, with all Democrats and moderate Republicans from Alaska and Maine voting against.
“It's definitely confirmed tomorrow,” Mullen told Rantz. “I don't know what the White House schedule is, but I wouldn't be surprised if he's sworn into office on Saturday.”
Hegseth clears the Senate hurdle and advances to the final confirmation vote
Senator Markwayne Mullen, a Republican from Oklahoma, speaks during his Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, January 14, 2025. (AL Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The Senate voted 51-49 to advance Hegseth's nomination on Thursday, sparking up to 30 hours of debate before a final vote. president Donald Trump The embattled defense candidate has faced intense grilling from Democrats about his qualifications for the job, as well as personal questions about his drinking habits and alleged sexual misconduct, which he has forcefully denied. Hegseth said he would abstain from alcohol if confirmed.
Hegseth's candidacy hit another hurdle this week when reports emerged that his ex-sister claimed Hegseth abused his second wife.
CNN Hegseth's ex-wife, Samantha Hegseth, provided a statement to the FBI about Hegseth's alleged alcohol abuse, two sources told CNN. “He drinks more often than he does,” the outlet said. A source said Samantha Hegseth told the FBI: “He drinks more often than he does.”
On Tuesday, Fox News obtained an affidavit from Hegseth's ex-sister, Danielle Hegseth, who claims he had an alcohol problem, and at times made out with his ex-wife, Samantha, out of fear for her safety. Danielle Hegseth was previously married to Pete Hegseth's brother and is not related to Samantha.
Betty Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's choice to be Secretary of Defense, at the completion of his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, January 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
But Danielle Hegseth added that she did not witness any abuse herself, physical or sexual, by Pitt against Samantha.
Samantha Hegseth also denied any physical abuse in a statement to NBC News.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumercriticized DN.Y. Hegseth spoke at a press conference on Thursday and urged Republicans to join Democrats in opposing the former Fox News host and Army National Guard.
“Hegseth is completely unqualified, he ranks up there (AS)… one of the worst candidates that could be put forward,” Schumer said.
Hegseth's lawyer takes issue with his ex-sister's “flawed and questionable relationship.”
and Senator Markwayne Mullen, R-R-Kla (Screenshot Channel/Fox News)
“People's lives depend on it – civilians and, of course, men and women in the armed services – and Pete Hegseth has not only shown himself incapable of running a large organisation, he is often shown to be incapable of showing up or appearing in a way where he can deliver.” anything.
Mullen predicted that once Hegseth is confirmed, Democrats will turn their attention to another of Trump's nominees, Tulsi Gabbard, the president's pick to be director of national intelligence.
“I think they'll shift their attention from Pitt directly to Tulsi Gabad,” Mullen said, noting that Gabbard's confirmation hearing is scheduled for next week. “They went from Matt Gaetz to Pete Hegseth. Now they'll go to Tulsi, and after that, I'm sure they'll probably go to (Health Secretary nominee) Bobby Kennedy.”
The Oklahoma Republican also suggested that Democratic senators who may harbor presidential ambitions should refrain from making a show of opposition to Trump's nominees.
“You have all these Democratic senators jumping up and down wanting attention so they can be the champion of the Democratic Party. What they don't realize is the position they took under Biden and when Trump was in office is exactly why they were pushed out of office.”
Fox News Digital's Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.
