Alaska’s U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski will vote against Pete Hegseth, President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the country’s armed forces.
The moderate Republican made the comments in a lengthy statement Thursday morning, outlining her opposition to Hegseth’s confirmation as Secretary of Defense for a litany of reasons: his mismanagement of veterans’ charities, his opposition to women serving in combat roles, several serious allegations of sexual assault, drinking and infidelity.
“These behaviors starkly contrast the values and discipline expected of servicemembers. Men and women in uniform are held accountable for such actions, and they deserve leaders who uphold these same standards,” she said in the statement. “After thorough evaluation, I must conclude that I cannot in good conscience support his nomination for Secretary of Defense. … The leader of the Department of Defense must demonstrate and model the standards of behavior and character we expect of all servicemembers, and Mr. Hegseth’s nomination to the role poses significant concerns that I cannot overlook.”
Murkowski, a key Trump skeptic during his first term, has been closely watched and seen as a necessary to blocking nominations in Trump’s second term. With Republicans in control of 53 seats, however, more than just Murkowski will be needed to halt Hegseth from ascending to the top of the nation’s armed forces.
A cloture vote is expected later today.
Murkowski said she believed confirming Hegseth — who faced new allegations of abuse this week — would send a bad message to women in the military. He also has opposed women serving in combat roles. Earlier this week, Trump fired the first female Coast Guard commandant.
“Although he has recently revised his statements on women in combat since being nominated, I remain concerned about the message that confirming Mr. Hegseth sends to women currently serving and those aspiring to join,” Murkowski said. “Women have served our nation with distinction, overcoming immense obstacles to excel in combat and leadership roles, and they deserve to know that their leader honors and values their commitment to our nation.”
Meanwhile, Alaska U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan has given Hegseth a full-throated endorsement after asking him softball questions about Alaska’s importance to the military — a question Sullivan asks at almost every opportunity — at his confirmation hearing.
He said Hegseth would bring back a focus on “warrior culture” to the military rather than “woke” issues.
Matt Acuña Buxton is a long-time political reporter who has written for the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner and The Midnight Sun political blog. He also authors the daily politics newsletter, The Alaska Memo, and can frequently be found live-tweeting public meetings on Bluesky.
