U.S. Sen. Angus King joined Democrats on the Senate Armed Services Committee on Monday in voting against the nomination of former Fox News host and Army veteran Pete Hegseth to lead the U.S. Department of Defense.
Republicans can only afford to lose three votes in order to confirm one of President Donald Trump’s most controversial Cabinet picks.
King focused his questioning of Hegseth before the committee last week on international warfare and the role of women in combat.
Hegseth told King last week that the humane treatment of prisoners and international rules are important, but he said the way wars are fought has changed over time and the rules aren’t always applicable.
“We fight enemies that play by no rules,” Hegseth said.
U. S. Sen. . On Monday, Angus King joined Democrats on the Senate Armed Services Committee in voting against Pete Hegseth’s nomination as the U.S. president. Hegseth is an Army veteran and former Fox News host. S. Defence Department.
In a 14–13 party-line vote, the committee approved Hegseth’s nomination, which now moves on to the full Senate, where it is also likely to face partisan opposition. To confirm one of President Donald Trump’s most contentious Cabinet choices, Republicans can’t afford to lose three votes.
The independent senator from Maine said in a statement that he voted against Hegseth’s confirmation because he was uneasy with the nominee’s responses to questions over the rules of international warfare and his suitability for the position last week.
“What I heard—or didn’t hear—on Tuesday is extremely concerning and would drastically damage America’s position in the world,” King stated. “Mr. Hegseth did not express his commitment to upholding international laws of war, such as the Geneva Conventions, which forbid torture and which the Senate worked to eradicate ten years ago.
Neither did he describe how his sporadic professional background in broadcasting or non-profit management equips him to manage one of the biggest and most complex organizations in the world, King said.
King’s questions of Hegseth before the committee last week centered on the role of women in combat and international warfare.
While Republicans supported Hegseth and emphasized his credentials, Democrats pressed him on claims that women don’t belong in combat and allegations of excessive drinking, sexual assault, and financial mismanagement during his tenure leading veterans’ organizations.
Hegseth told King last week that while international regulations and the humane treatment of prisoners are crucial, he added that the rules aren’t always applicable because wars are fought differently now.
Hegseth remarked, “We fight enemies who play by no rules.”. People are used as human shields by them. Women and children are their targets. That is not what we do. We abide by the rules, but we don’t need onerous guidelines that prevent us from winning these conflicts. “.”.
King also pointed out that Hegseth refused to meet with Armed Services Committee minority members, which is standard procedure.
Additionally, he stated that Hegseth “passed up a chance to explicitly and directly assist Ukraine in its struggle against Putin’s unlawful invasion — a move that Xi Jinping and Kim Jung Un are closely monitoring as they question whether the United States would be steadfast in defending their allies.”. “”.
Updates will be made to this story.