Pete Hegseth was sworn into his new position as Secretary of Defense Saturday morning after being confirmed in a contentious Senate vote the night before.

The newly sworn-in defense secretary outlined plans on Saturday to advance the president's defense priorities.

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to be Defense secretary, gives a thumbs up while leaving after his Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

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.

President Trump’s pick to head the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth, told senators at his confirmation hearing that recruitment has increased since Trump was elected president. He also said there will be a “recruiting renaissance” after Trump takes office and the Pentagon can rid itself of “woke” policies.

The vote came amid concerns about his qualifications to lead the Pentagon amid allegations of heavy drinking and abusive behavior toward women.

President Donald Trump has worked to advance a flurry of policy priorities in the first week of his second term, while more Cabinet nominees work through the confirmation process. Follow live updates.

So far, three people have been confirmed to Trump’s Cabinet: former Sen. Marco Rubio as the secretary of state, John Ratcliffe as the director of the Central Intelligence Agency and Pete Hegseth as secretary of Defense.

President Donald Trump is pushing forward with his agenda in the busy opening days of his second term. Follow for live updates.

Donald Trump's pick for Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth announced he would fire "every general who carried water for Obama and Biden." This is the first such operation in U.S. history. Until now, every administration has adhered strictly to the principle of not interfering in the internal affairs of the military.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), one of the seven Republican senators who voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial, is the latest to express public disapproval, particularly for the pardons for those convicted of assaulting police officers.