The U.S. Senate approved Pete Hegseth, President Donald Trump’s choice for defense secretary, late Friday night, in a mainly party-line vote of 51-50.

Vice President JD Vance cast the deciding vote, breaking the 50-50 tie in the 100-member Senate

 This marks only the second occasion in U.S. history that a vice president, who serves as the president of the Senate, has had to break a tie for a nominee.

The vote came after days of debate in the Senate Angola Phone Number List concerning Hegseth’s qualifications for the top civilian position in the U.S. military, overseeing the nation’s armed forces.

During his confirmation hearing earlier this month, Hegseth informed lawmakers that he would restore accountability to the nation’s military.

He received backing from Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, who stated, "Pete Hegseth has the determination and the tools to achieve real change. He will inject a new warrior ethos into the Pentagon, a spirit that can cascade from the top down."

However, Hegseth encountered criticism from Senate Democrats regarding his remarks about women and transgender individuals serving in the military, as well as claims of sexual assault, drunkenness, and financial mismanagement concerning two nonprofits for U.S. veterans that he led.

FILE - Pete Hegseth, President Donald Trump’s

Nominee for defense secretary, gives a thumbs up while exiting after his Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing, at the Capitol in Washington, Jan. 1
, 2025.
FILE - Pete Hegseth, President Donald Trump’s nominee for defense secretary, gives a thumbs up while exiting after his Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing, at the Capitol in Washington, Jan. 1
, 2025.
Earlier this week, senators received an affidavit from Angola Phone Number Database Danielle Hegseth, Hegseth’s former sister-in-law, alleging that he was abusive toward his second ex-wife, Samantha Hegseth. She did not detail the abuse and stated that she did not witness it. In a statement to NBC News, which first broke the story, Samantha Hegseth said, "There was no physical abuse in my marriage."