On Friday night, Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell strode onto the Senate floor and, without a moment’s hesitation, voted against the Republican president’s nominee for secretary of defense. The vote marked the hard launch of a new, unburdened, and final chapter in McConnell’s 40-year Senate career.

In the early days of President Donald Trump’s second term, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski had openly challenged or rebuked him at least three times

"So that's the two senators that are out. Mitch McConnell is in as is all as are all the other senators in the conference." The post ‘Mitch McConnell Is In’: Fox News Reports On Ex-Host Pete Hegseth Clearing Key Vote Ahead of Likely Confirmation first appeared on Mediaite.

After a few GOP senators, including McConnell, voted against Hegseth for defense secretary, the Senate narrowly voted to confirm him.

We shouldn’t expect McConnell to be the next John McCain or Mitt Romney, but his vote Friday against Pete Hegseth previewed some fascinating dynamics ahead.

Sen. Mitch McConnell accused new defense secretary Pete Hegseth of having "no substantial observations on how to defend Taiwan or the Philippines against a Chinese attack."

WASHINGTON – Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell was one of three Republicans voting against the confirmation of Pete Hegseth on Friday to be secretary of Defense, though his appointment was approved by the narrowest of margins.

Pete Hegseth has vowed to bring his “warrior” ethos to the Pentagon. Democrats had assailed him as unfit for the job, and his confirmation came down to Vice President JD Vance serving as tiebreaker.

"McConnell spent his life creating this crisis...Only at the end does he find a conscience," political commentator Wajahat Ali wrote.

The US Senate on Friday approved Pete Hegseth as President Donald Trump’s defense secretary by a razor-thin margin, in which, Vice President JD Vance had to cast the tie-breaking vote.

Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky voted against President Donald Trump's nominee to be secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth.

Ahead of a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing Thursday, the fate of Gabbard’s nomination rests in the hands of a small handful of undecided GOP senators: Maine’s Susan Collins, Indiana’s Todd Young, Kentucky’s Mitch McConnell and Utah’s John Curtis.