The Senate narrowly voted to confirm embattled Pete Hegseth as secretary of the Department of Defense, in a major win for President Donald Trump and his new administration.

A Princeton and Harvard-educated former combat veteran, Hegseth went on to make a career at Fox News, where he hosted a weekend show. Trump tapped him as the defense secretary to lead an organization with nearly 2.1 million service members, about 780,000 civilians and a budget of $850 billion.

The Republican-controlled Senate confirmed Pete Hegseth as defense secretary, with Vice President JD Vance casting a tie-breaking vote.

The Senate on Friday night confirmed President Donald Trump’s nomination of Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News personality, to become the country’s next defense secretary.

Three GOP senators, including Mitch McConnell, voted against Trump’s embattled nominee, forcing J.D. Vance to break the tie.

The Senate confirmed Pete Hegseth as defense secretary by the narrowest of margins, elevating an Army National Guard veteran and former Fox News host to the top Pentagon job with the help of a rare tie-breaking vote by the vice president.

Senators voted 51-49 to advance Hegseth's defense secretary bid, which has been mired in several controversies. Two Republicans oppose him.

The Senate is expected to make a final confirmation vote for Pete Hegseth's defense secretary appointment under the Trump administration on Friday.

Even the president isn’t sure if his defense-secretary pick can squeak through what is expected to be an extremely close confirmation vote in the Republican-controlled Senate.

President Donald Trump has begun his second administration with a series of controversial moves and decisions.

An American Airlines regional jet went down in the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.