The Senate is set on Thursday to take a test vote on Pete Hegseth’s nomination to be secretary of defense, a critical indicator of whether fresh allegations about his personal conduct that surfaced this week are enough to stop his confirmation.
Republican leaders are plowing ahead with their drive to confirm Mr. Hegseth, as Democrats who have called him unfit to lead the Pentagon work to persuade a handful of G.O.P. senators to join them in opposition. They are pointing to a sworn statement submitted to the Senate on Tuesday by a former sister-in-law of Mr. Hegseth’s who described him as frequently intoxicated and “abusive” toward his second wife.
There has been no public indication that any Republican is having reservations, even though a handful have said privately that the new allegations from Danielle Diettrich Hegseth, the former wife of Mr. Hegseth’s brother, are concerning. Mr. Hegseth has denied her account, as he has several other allegations that have dogged his nomination, including one of sexual assault, and other reports of excessive drinking.
Senator John Thune, Republican of South Dakota and the majority leader, has scheduled a vote on Thursday afternoon to break Democrats’ filibuster and advance Mr. Hegseth’s nomination to a final confirmation vote, which would set the stage for a vote on Friday night.
To win confirmation, he would need the support of all but three Republicans given that Democrats are all but certain to oppose him unanimously.
During his confirmation hearing, Mr. Hegseth adamantly denied the raft of allegations that had surfaced against him, calling them “anonymous smears.”