Part 2/7:
During a conversation on Capitol Hill, political analysts weighed in on the support Hegseth might garner among Republican senators. The key question arises from the mathematical challenge he faces: can he convince enough Republican senators to back him? Hegseth only needs a simple majority to be confirmed, which theoretically allows him to lose one or two Republican votes. In this scenario, if the Senate is evenly split 50-50, Vice President-elect JD Vance can cast a deciding vote to confirm him.