Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced his intention to “restore the warrior ethos” on Saturday in an open letter to the 1.3 million active-duty members of the United States Military.

“It is the privilege of a lifetime to lead the warriors of the Department of Defense, under the leadership of our Commander in Chief Donald J. Trump. We will put America First, and we will never back down,” Hegseth wrote.

Late Friday night, Hegseth narrowly squeaked by to secure the post after three Republicans voted “no.” GOP Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky voted against their party in siding with the Democrats to oppose Hegseth. Vice President J.D. Vance was needed to serve as the tie-breaker vote.

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