Hegseth was eventually confirmed with a 51-50 vote in the Senate.
Soon after he became secretary of defense, Hegseth joined President Trump in stripping away the security clearances of former staffers deemed who have previously been resistant to Republican leadership.
Among those who saw their clearance revoked was former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, who was appointed during Trump’s first term but drew the president’s ire over a series of secret calls he made to China assuring them that the US was stable.