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

Republican Sen. Susan Collins, D-Maine, will not support Senate confirmation of Pete Hegsett, President Donald Trump pick to lead the defense ministry, citing his lack of experience and concerns about his past comments about women.

Several Republican senators balked at Hegsett’s nomination as he faced criticism from members of the Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing in January.

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

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“His limited leadership experience included managing two small nonprofits with mixed results,” Collins wrote in a lengthy social media post. “I am also concerned about a number of statements, including those made in the months leading up to his nomination, that Mr Hegseth has made about women serving in the military. We had a frank conversation with him in December about his past statements and his apparent change of heart… I’m not convinced that his position on women in combat has changed.”