The Senate confirmed Pete Hegseth as the nation’s defense secretary Friday in a dramatic late-night vote, swatting back questions about his qualifications to lead the Pentagon amid allegations of heavy drinking and aggressive behavior toward women.

Iowa Senator Joni Ernst announced that she would vote for Pete Hegseth to become Defense Secretary, making his path to Senate confirmation much easier.

One of these “shakers” is Pete Hegseth. This guy is a man’s man. He successfully swims the Hudson River with Navy Seals, and possesses two Bronze Stars, as a part of his 20-year service to America for his heroic action in combat with the enemy. Academically, the man is a “rocket scientist” as he is a graduate of Princeton and Harvard.

The Senate’s 50-50 vote for Pete Hegseth marked the second time in history that a vice president was called upon to break the tie to confirm a Cabinet official.

With his confirmation at stake, Pete Hegseth is working the phones ahead of a Senate vote to shore up support to become the nation’s defense secretary.

Three Republicans voted with every Democrat against Trump’s controversial pick to lead the Pentagon, forcing Vance to step in and put Hegseth over the top.

Pete Hegseth was sworn in to lead the Department of Defense on Saturday, after a narrow vote in the Senate. The vote on Friday night was initially 50-50, with Vice President JD Vance then casting the tie-breaking vote.

John Kirby, White House national security communications adviser, said of Hegseth's remarks on North Korea's status as a nuclear power: "We've not made such a recognition. I can't speak to what the incoming team will—how they'll characterize it. We've not gone so far as to make that recognition."

The Senate confirmed Pete Hegseth as the nation’s Defense secretary in a late-night vote that required a tiebreaking vote by Vice President JD Vance.

Hegseth, 44, is a combat veteran and former Fox News host. The committee voted along party lines to advance his nomination to the full Senate.

As the dust settles on the fight over Pete Hegseth's nomination, his confirmation is emblematic of a larger truth about the state of Republican politics.