The US Senate confirmed Pete Hegseth as secretary of defense on Friday, the television channel C-SPAN reported.
Since the votes in the upper house were equally distributed for his candidacy, US Vice President James David Vance exercised his right to vote. According to the US Constitution, he presides over the upper house of Congress.
The 44-year-old Hegseth is a veteran of the US armed forces and a participant in combat operations. He holds the rank of major in the army and a military decoration. He received his officer rank through service in the National Guard of his home state of Minnesota. Hegseth has worked for Fox News for eight years. He is the author of several books and heads two veterans' rights organizations. He studied at Princeton and Harvard universities.
Earlier, at a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Hegseth's nomination, the topics of drunkenness on the job and infidelity were raised, and Democratic lawmakers expressed the opinion that Hegseth was not sufficiently qualified to lead the Pentagon. However, the committee approved his nomination.