The Senate on Friday night voted to confirm Pete Hegseth as defense secretary after Vice President JD Vance stepped in to cast the tiebreaking vote. Hegseth’s nomination had been hampered by allegations of misconduct.

That’s called “jointness,” about which Hegseth knows little. He touted his Army background in the National Guard as a qualification to be secretary of Defense, but just as different cultures, goals and methods divide allies in a coalition, they also divide military branches.

Readers criticize the vote on the defense secretary nomination. Also: President Trump and tariffs; silencing health officials; firing of inspectors general; longevity.

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.

The vote came amid concerns about his qualifications to lead the Pentagon amid allegations of heavy drinking and abusive behavior toward women.

A Princeton and Harvard-educated former combat veteran, Hegseth went on to make a career at Fox News, where he hosted a weekend show. Trump tapped him as the defense secretary to lead an organization with nearly 2.1 million service members, about 780,000 civilians and a budget of $850 billion.

Every one of Hegseth’s predecessors emphasized unity and a diverse military as key to national progress and defense.

There will be a lot on the plate for new Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth when he steps into his office on the Pentagon’s third floor E Ring.

Vice President Vance defended new Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, calling him a “disrupter” who will prove “incredibly necessary.” Vance joined CBS News’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday

The full Senate voted 51-49 on Thursday to advance Hegseth's nomination, paving the way for a final confirmation vote Friday.

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