Mitch McConnell’s Vote Against Trump Nominee Pete Hegseth Sparks MAGA Fury

Republican Senator Mitch McConnell’s vote against Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, sparked criticism from some of the president’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) supporters online.

Newsweek has reached out to McConnell and the White House via email for comment on Saturday.

Why It Matters

McConnell, who previously led the Republican Party in the U.S. Senate since 2007, has notably clashed with Trump over the years following the 2020 election and the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot. Despite these tensions, McConnell endorsed Trump last year as he has long been seen to put his party’s interests first.

Trump has also bashed McConnell after his 2020 election loss, claiming the senator was “hanging by a thread” and has since continued to criticize McConnell, mocking him following his endorsement.

Despite being a staunch conservative, the Kentucky senator has also been routinely slammed by Trump supporters as an “establishment” politician.

What To Know

The Senate narrowly voted to confirm Hegseth as secretary of the Department of Defense (DOD) due to a few Republican senators joining Democrats to oppose Hegseth’s nomination.

McConnell, as well as GOP Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, had announced that they would vote “no,” which made Vice President JD Vance travel to the U.S. Capitol on Friday night to cast the tie-breaking vote.

In a statement, McConnell detailed his thoughts on Hegseth as he took aim at core arguments Hegseth made at his confirmation hearing.

“In his testimony before the Committee, Mr. Hegseth provided no substantial observations on how to defend Taiwan or the Philippines against a Chinese attack, or even whether he believes the United States should do so. He failed, for that matter, to articulate in any detail a strategic vision for dealing with the gravest long-term threat emanating from the PRC.”

In response to McConnell’s vote, Trump, for his part, anticipated that the former Republican leader would break ranks, telling reporters earlier Friday, “Of course Mitch is always a no vote, I guess.”

When asked by another reporter later on Friday if he was disappointed McConnell voted “no” on Hegseth, Trump responded: “I didn’t even know that. I just heard that we won. Winning is what matters, right?”

McConnell’s vote comes after Hegseth was widely considered the most controversial Cabinet nominee and was dogged by allegations of sexual misconduct and alcohol abuse ahead of his confirmation vote.

Senator Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, is seen on January 23 in Washington, D.C.

Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

Controversies Surrounding Hegseth

Hegseth has previously called to get rid of “woke” military leaders and argued that women should not serve in combat roles. Hegseth has also advocated for pardoning service members accused of war crimes.

The former Fox News host faced further scrutiny when it surfaced that he was accused of sexual assault eight years ago. He was not charged and a spokesperson for Trump told Vanity Fair that Hegseth has “vigorously denied any and all accusations.”

His lawyer also previously told Newsweek: “Although an allegation was made, it was fully investigated and Pete was cleared. This unfortunate episode should have zero impact on the confirmation process.”

Earlier this week, it was revealed that Hegseth paid $50,000 to the woman who accused him of assault. Hegseth disclosed the figure in response to a set of questions from Democratic Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren.

The New Yorker reported last month that Hegseth was allegedly intoxicated several times while he was CEO of the Koch-backed group Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) from 2013 to 2016.

Hegseth was so intoxicated that he needed “to be carried out of the organization’s events,” the report said. When asked about the allegations, Hegseth told reporters that he was “not gonna dignify that with a response.”

What People Are Saying

Nick Sortor, an independent journalist who regularly appears on right-wing news outlets and podcasts, wrote on X on Friday: “WTF? Mitch McConnell immediately walked over and CELEBRATED with the Democrats after voting against Hegseth. This man HAS TO GO in 2026. The people of Kentucky voted for Trump’s mandate—not this anti-Trump BS.”

Jerry Dunleavy IV, a former senior investigator for the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, wrote on X on Friday: “This part of McConnell’s statement on voting no is ludicrous. The confirmation hearing was a circus, and senators spent most of their time asking Hegseth dumbass questions about bulls*** controversies. If senators wanted it to be illuminating, they should’ve asked good questions.”

Eric Matheny, a right-wing political commentator, wrote on X: “This is Mitch McConnell. 45 years in elected office. Voted against Pete Hegseth. Ukraine is the number one priority. Not gas prices, inflation, spikes in violent crime, or even the 20,000 illegals crossing the Border each day.”

Prominent pro-Trump X account Catturd wrote on X: “What a POS!”

Senator Elizabeth Warren called Hegseth “the most unqualified” nominee for secretary of defense “in modern history,” saying in the Senate: “I’d like my Senate colleagues, people who are seriously considering voting to confirm Pete Hegseth, to think long and hard about this decision.”