Moderate GOP senator says he will vote against confirmation of Pete Hegseth as defense secretary

Republican Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, will not support Senate confirmation of Pete Hegseth, That of President Donald Trump he chose to lead the defense department, citing a lack of experience and concerns about his past comments about women.

Several Republican senators remained on the fence about Hegseth’s nomination as he faced a grilling of members of the Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing in January

“While I appreciate his courageous military service and ongoing commitment to our service members and their families, I am concerned that he lacks the experience and perspective necessary to succeed in the job,” Collins wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter. on Thursday

KEY SENATE PRESIDENT CRITICIZES ‘ANONYMOUS SOURCES WITH ULTIMATE MOTIVES’, TAKES ADVANTAGE OF HEGSETH NOMINATION

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense, heads to a meeting with Sen. Ted Budd, RNC, at the Russell Building on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ- Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images) (Tom Williams)

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“His limited management experience involved running two small nonprofits that had decidedly mixed results,” Collins wrote in a lengthy social media post. “I am also concerned about the multiple statements, including some in the months just before he was nominated, that Mr. Hegseth has made about women serving in the military. He and I had a frank conversation in December about his statements past and his apparently evolving views. I’m not convinced that his position on women serving in combat roles has changed.”