Senators voted 51-49 to advance Hegseth's defense secretary bid, which has been mired in several controversies. Two Republicans oppose him.

A Princeton and Harvard-educated former combat veteran, Hegseth went on to make a career at Fox News, where he hosted a weekend show. Trump tapped him as the defense secretary to lead an organization with nearly 2.1 million service members, about 780,000 civilians and a budget of $850 billion.

Readers criticize the vote on the defense secretary nomination. Also: President Trump and tariffs; silencing health officials; firing of inspectors general; longevity.

President Donald Trump's second White House is looking a lot like the inside of Mar-a-Lago, with extremely wealthy Americans taking key roles in his Republican administration.

More of President Donald Trump's picks for his cabinet are expected to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate in the coming days after the Republican-controlled chamber began approving them last week. Hearings for other nominees are scheduled for this week as well,

Pete Hegseth, a former combat veteran and TV news show host, says he will be a "change agent" and a "warrior" for the department as Republicans demand new and strong leadership in the Pentagon.

The South Dakota governor will oversee a sprawling agency that is essential to national security and a clampdown on illegal immigration.

The vote came amid concerns about his qualifications to lead the Pentagon amid allegations of heavy drinking and abusive behavior toward women.

One of Trump’s picks is currently an evangelical pastor: Southern Baptist Scott Turner, an associate pastor at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, was tapped to be Trump’s secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Democrats are widely opposed to pairing the debt limit and wildfire aid — two key parts of a spending proposal GOP leaders are circling behind closed doors.

Republican lawmakers congratulated Pete Hegseth after he was narrowly confirmed as defense secretary on Friday, with GOP senators saying they were proud to vote for him.