Pentagon direction | The Senate confirms the appointment of Pete Hegseth

(Washington) accusation of sexual assault, excessive alcohol consumption, lack of experience: despite criticism, the choice of Donald Trump as head of the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth, was approved on Friday by the American Senate.

In the United States, the Constitution requires that the appointments of ministers and other senior officials be confirmed by a vote in the Senate.

But despite a republican majority of 53 seats out of 100 in the upper Congress House, the new vice-president, JD Vance, had to-something rare-to go there to decide between 50 votes against 50 with his decisive voice.

Because three Republican elected officials voted against, of which, with a certain surprise, Mitch McConnell, former Republican official. Lisa Murkowski, who also voted against it, said earlier that this appointment aroused “considerable concerns” on which she could not “close her eyes”.

She also quotes the opposition expressed by Pete Hegseth to the presence of women in the fighting troops. Since his statements in November, the former soldier said he returned to this opposition.

« Woke »

Pete Hegseth became known to the Americans over the past ten years as a presenter at Fox News, the preservative’s favorite channel in the United States.

At the age of 44, he had to take the lead of a ministry with a pharaonic budget of 850 billion dollars annually and employing some three million soldiers, reservists, and civilians.

His main mission, he said in mid-January during his confirmation hearing before a Senate commission, will be to “bring back the culture of the warrior” to the Pentagon.

Pete Hegseth has repeatedly assured that he wanted to reform the pentagon from top to bottom, which has become too “woke” and acquired to an ideology too on the left, according to him.

The announcement of the appointment of Pete Hegseth in November had aroused an outcry in opposition.

Faced with the Armed Forces Commission, the Democratic senators had notably questioned him on an accusation of sexual assault.

Dating from 2017 in California, she emerged after the announcement of her appointment. The former soldier, who denies any unconted relationship, had reached a financial agreement of $ 50,000 a few years later with the one who accused him, to prevent prosecution.

“Not qualified”

Opposition elected officials had also disappeared during the hearing his lack of experience to direct such an important portfolio.

“Mr. Hegseth, you are not qualified,” said senator Tammy Duckworth.

This former combat helicopter pilot in the army, amputated by both legs after its apparatus was targeted by a rocket in Iraq in 2004, criticized in a statement on Wednesday its opposition to the presence of women in the fighting troops.

Pete Hegseth is also suspected of having regularly excessive alcohol consumption.

“One of your colleagues said you were so drunk at an event in a bar that you sang” kill all Muslims “,” said senator Elizabeth Warren during the hearing.

Despite the controversies, Donald Trump maintained his choice at all costs. Still Friday, he described it as a “good man”.