By Nancy A. Youssef, Lindsay Wise and Alex Leary

WASHINGTON -- Even President Trump isn't sure if Pete Hegseth, his unconventional pick to lead the Pentagon, can squeak through what is expected to be an extremely close confirmation vote Friday night in the Republican-controlled Senate.

"I don't know what's going to happen," Trump said as he left the White House Friday morning for a trip to North Carolina and California. "You never know with those things. But Pete's a very, very good man. I hope he makes it. I hope he makes it."

Trump said he was surprised that two centrist Republican senators -- Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine -- voted against moving forward with Hegseth's nomination on Thursday. Both women also have said they would oppose his confirmation in the final vote scheduled for Friday night, citing his lack of experience, concerns about his character and his past statements opposing women in combat.

"I was very surprised that Collins and Murkowski would do that," Trump said. He speculated that Sen. Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) also might vote no.

"And of course, Mitch is always a no vote, I guess," Trump said. "Is Mitch a no vote? How about Mitch?...Let's see what happens."

McConnell voted to advance the nomination Thursday, but hasn't said how he plans to vote on final confirmation Friday. McConnell said in a floor speech last week that he would vote to confirm senior national-security nominees "whose record and experience will make them immediate assets -- not liabilities -- in the pursuit of peace through strength."

Republicans control the Senate, 53-47. In his role as president of the Senate, Vice President JD Vance can break any ties. That means Hegseth can afford only three Republican "no" votes, if all Democrats unite against him, as expected.

Other than Collins and Murkowski, who are on the record as "no" votes, and McConnell, whose position is unknown, nearly all other Republican senators have said they plan to vote yes on Friday. One exception is Sen. Thom Tillis (R., N.C.), who said Thursday night that he was still "completing due diligence" on the latest allegations against Hegseth, which surfaced earlier this week in a sworn statement from Hegseth's former sister-in-law, Danielle Hegseth.

In the statement, made under penalty of perjury and submitted in response to a request from Democratic Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, Danielle Hegseth accused Pete Hegseth of alcohol abuse and erratic behavior, and said his ex-wife, Samantha Hegseth, told her that she once hid from Hegseth in a closet because she feared for her personal safety. Samantha Hegseth hasn't responded to requests for comment. In a redacted portion, it also alleges that Samantha told Danielle that Pete Hegseth had allegedly "grabbed her groin without consent" at their home. Court documents from Samantha and Pete Hegseth's divorce state that neither claimed to be a victim of domestic abuse. He denies wrongdoing.

"There is no basis to credit this deeply flawed and questionable affidavit, which was submitted at the 11th hour in a clear and admitted partisan attempt to derail Mr. Hegseth's confirmation," according to a letter from Hegseth's attorney, Timothy Parlatore, to Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Sen. Roger Wicker (R., Miss.).

Tillis, who is up for re-election next year, has long been a presumptive yes on Hegseth, but after the emergence of Danielle Hegseth's statement this week, he said he is open to new information "until the final vote."

Hegseth, a former Army National Guardsman major and Fox News host, has faced a swirl of controversies since Trump nominated him. He has been accused of sexual assault, public drunkness and financial mismanagement. And he would come to the job with no experience leading a major government agency or private enterprise. Hegseth and his allies say he has made mistakes but also dismissed the charges as politically motivated "anonymous smears."

Hegseth has proposed firing some members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He has suggested that the military is focusing too much on social programs such as diversity, equity and inclusion.

The 44-year-old has, however, backed down on his call for removing women from ground combat positions.

His confirmation hearing last week did little to assuage the political divide over his nomination. Republicans hailed him as a change agent who would shake up the Pentagon, while Democrats said Hegseth didn't have the character or constitution for the job.

On Friday morning, ahead of his confirmation vote, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) pleaded with Republican colleagues to reject Hegseth's nomination.

"Of all the people we could have as secretary of defense, is Pete Hegseth really the best one we've got? Come on, you know he isn't. You know he's not even close!" Schumer said.

"Is this man, with a known history of excessive drinking, the guy you want on the other end of the phone at 2 a.m. in a crisis, in control of the nuclear codes? Who are we kidding? Who are we kidding?"

Pentagon officials have been closely following Hegseth's nomination in anticipation of changes at the department. Trump and the military butted heads during his first term, and the new administration has proposed "warrior boards" to purge leaders seen as unfit. Pentagon personnel removed the portrait of the last person to serve as Trump's chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Army Gen. Mark Milley, within two hours of Trump's formal return to the presidency.

Defense secretaries usually get overwhelming support, as legislators seek to signal that national security is a bipartisan issue. Retired Marine Gen. Jim Mattis, Trump's first defense-chief pick during his first administration, received 98 votes. Former Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska earned 58 votes from senators in 2013, the lowest ever for a defense secretary.

Write to Nancy A. Youssef at nancy.youssef@wsj.com, Lindsay Wise at lindsay.wise@wsj.com and Alex Leary at alex.leary@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 24, 2025 12:13 ET (17:13 GMT)

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