Former Senate Republican Leader, Mitch McConnell on Friday night criticized President Donald Trump’s nominee for Department of Defense, Pete Hegseth, just before he was confirmed.
Arogidigba Global Journal reports that the vote to confirm Hegseth for the role of defense secretary went late into Friday night.
It took Vice President JD Vance to break the 50-50 tie.
But McConnell was one of those who voted against Hegseth being confirmed.
The 82-year-old politician casted doubt about Hegseth’s ability to handle the role.
“Mere desire to be a ‘change agent’ is not enough to fill these shoes. And ‘dust on boots’ fails even to distinguish this nominee from multiple predecessors of the last decade. Nor is it a precondition for success.
“Secretaries with distinguished combat experience and time in the trenches have failed at the job,” McConnell said in a statement minutes before Hegseth received Vance’s vote to confirm him.
“Mr. Hegseth has failed, as yet, to demonstrate that he will pass this test. But as he assumes office, the consequences of failure are as high as they have ever been,” McConnell added.
Despite voting against Hegseth and also offering harsh remarks on his nomination, McConnell, however, said he would work with him to “restore American hard power.”
Meanwhile, speaking to reporters in California after the vote, President Trump said Hegseth would make a great defense secretary.
He also said he didn’t know McConnell voted no for Hegseth, but added: “winning is all that matters.”
Hegseth is expected to lead an organization with nearly 2.1 million service members, about 780,000 civilians and a budget of $850 billion.