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Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin expressed assurance that Pete Hegseth would beryllium confirmed arsenic Defense secretary, contempt absorption from GOP moderates.
Hegseth cleared a procedural hurdle successful the Senate connected Thursday, mounting up a last confirmation ballot expected Friday evening. However, Republican Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, some publically declared their absorption to his nomination, meaning the GOP tin lone spend 1 much defection earlier Hegseth's confirmation is lost.
Mullin, successful an interrogation connected the "Guy Benson Show" with impermanent big Jason Rantz, said determination are 50 "hard yes" votes for Hegseth to beryllium confirmed and estimated helium volition person arsenic galore arsenic 52 votes, with each Democrats and the mean Republicans from Alaska and Maine voting against.
"He's decidedly being confirmed tomorrow," Mullin told Rantz. "I don't cognize what the White House docket is, but I wouldn't beryllium amazed if helium was sworn into bureau connected Saturday."
HEGSETH CLEARS SENATE HURDLE AND ADVANCES TO A FINAL CONFIRMATION VOTE
The Senate voted 51-49 to beforehand Hegseth's information connected Thursday, which triggered up to 30 hours of statement earlier a last vote. President Donald Trump's embattled Defense nominee has faced aggravated grilling from Democrats connected his qualifications for the position, arsenic good arsenic idiosyncratic questions astir his drinking habits and alleged intersexual misconduct, which helium has vigorously denied. Hegseth has said helium would abstain from intoxicant if confirmed.
Hegseth's information faced different hurdle this week erstwhile reports emerged that his ex-sister-in-law alleged that Hegseth had abused his 2nd wife.
Two sources told CNN Hegseth’s ex-wife, Samantha Hegseth, gave a connection to the FBI astir Hegseth’s alleged intoxicant use. The outlet said 1 of the sources said Samantha Hegseth told the FBI, "He drinks much often than helium doesn’t."
On Tuesday, Fox News obtained an affidavit from Hegseth's erstwhile sister-in-law, Danielle Hegseth, which alleges helium has an intoxicant maltreatment occupation and astatine times made his ex-wife, Samantha, fearfulness for her safety. Danielle Hegseth was antecedently joined to Pete Hegseth's member and has nary narration to Samantha.
However, Danielle Hegseth added that she ne'er witnessed immoderate maltreatment herself, carnal oregon sexual, by Pete against Samantha.
Samantha Hegseth has besides denied immoderate carnal maltreatment successful a connection to NBC News.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., slammed Hegseth astatine a quality league connected Thursday and urged Republicans to articulation Democrats successful absorption to the erstwhile Fox News big and Army National Guardsman.
"Hegseth is truthful utterly unqualified, helium ranks up determination [as] … 1 of the precise worst nominees that could beryllium enactment forward," Schumer said.
HEGSETH LAWYER SLAMS ‘FLAWED AND QUESTIONABLE AFFIDAVIT’ FROM EX-SISTER-IN-LAW
"People's lives beryllium connected it — civilians and, of course, the men and women successful the equipped services — and Pete Hegseth has shown himself not lone incapable of moving a ample organization, helium often shows himself incapable of showing up oregon showing up successful a mode wherever helium could get thing done. He is truthful retired of the mainstream and truthful unqualified for DOD that I americium hopeful we volition get our Republican colleagues to articulation us."
Mullin predicted that erstwhile Hegseth is confirmed, Democrats volition crook their attraction to different of Trump's nominees, Tulsi Gabbard, who is the president's prime to beryllium manager of nationalist intelligence.
"I deliberation they're going to crook their attraction from Pete consecutive to Tulsi Gabbad," Mullin said, noting that Gabbard's confirmation proceeding is scheduled for adjacent week. "They went from Matt Gaetz to Pete Hegseth. Now they're going to spell to Tulsi, and past aft that I'm definite they'll astir apt determination connected to [health caput nominee] Bobby Kennedy."
The Oklahoma Republican besides suggested that Democratic senators who whitethorn harbor statesmanlike ambitions basal to summation from making a amusement of absorption to Trump's nominees.
"You person each these Democrat senators present that are jumping up and down wanting attraction truthful they tin beryllium the champion of the Democrat Party. What they don't recognize is the presumption they took underneath Biden and erstwhile Trump was successful bureau is precisely wherefore they got kicked retired of office."
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