Pete Hegseth, a 44-year-old former Fox News personality and decorated veteran, has been confirmed as the United States defense secretary, with Vice President JD Vance casting the deciding vote to break a 50-50 tie. Hegseth’s nomination has been plagued by allegations of alcohol abuse and sexual misconduct.

It was only the second time in history a cabinet nominee needed a tie-break to be confirmed. The first was also a Trump nominee, Betsy DeVos, who became education secretary in 2017. Hegseth, who is promising to bring major changes to the Pentagon, takes over as defence chief amid the war in Ukraine, ceasefires in Lebanon and Gaza, as well as the push of the Trump administration to expand the military’s role on the US-Mexico border.

This was only the second time in history that a cabinet nominee required a tie-breaking vote to be confirmed. Betsy DeVos, a Trump candidate, became Education Secretary in 2017. Hegseth, who promises to make significant changes at the Pentagon, takes over as defense chief amid the war in Ukraine, ceasefires in Lebanon and Gaza, and the Trump administration’s effort to extend the military’s role on the US-Mexico border. He is regarded as the most contentious candidate for the US military’s top position.

The three Republican senators who voted against Hegseth were Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, and Mitch McConnell, the party’s leader in the Senate until this month. McConnell claimed Hegseth had failed to demonstrate his competence to properly manage a huge and complicated institution like the military. “Mere desire to be a ‘change agent’ is not enough to fill these shoes,” McConnell said in a statement.

Hegseth will oversee 1.3 million active-duty service members and about one million civilians who work for the US military, which has a nearly $1 trillion yearly budget. Hegseth told MPs that until now, the largest group he had handled was 100 persons, with a budget of $16 million. His nomination was also derailed by a slew of allegations, including one made this week by his former sister-in-law, who claimed he tortured his second wife to the point where she hid in a closet and had a code word to speak with friends if she needed to be rescued. Hegseth vehemently disputed the allegations, and his wife had previously denied any physical violence.