Senator Tillis’ Vote in Support of Pete Hegseth

Sometimes, if something smells like a skunk, it is

Photo by Wallace Keck via Wikimedia Commons.

Earlier today, I published an article about last night’s troubling vote confirming Pete Hegseth to serve as Secretary of Defense. Something about the vote didn’t seem right to me. Why did North Carolina Senator Tom Tillis (R) emerge as a possible “no” vote on the nomination after previously being considered a sold “aye?” That question prompted me to ponder what might have happened.

My speculation on the question—and it is only speculation—prompted me to write about it in my Medium publication, Dean’s List. I like the piece, so I am sharing it here. 

Senator Tillis’ Vote in Support of Pete Hegseth

Congratulations, America. An unqualified Christian nationalist with serious alcohol problems and a history of sexual assault allegations dogging him has been confirmed as Secretary of Defense by the U.S. Senate.

I’m hoping for the best — May Pete Hegseth prove all my worries unfounded, abstain from the bottle for four years (or, better, for the rest of his life), and abandon his most radical misogynistic views about women in the military. I think this lift is too heavy, even for someone who can do five sets of 47 pushups in a single exercise session.

Hegseth’s time at the Pentagon will not turn out well, but let’s focus on the Senate vote that will put him in charge of over two million servicemembers and civilians and hope that if President Trump bothers to consult him before using a nuclear weapon, Hegseth will be sober.

Hegseth’s confirmation came with the help of a tie-breaking vote by Vice President J.D. Vance, a man qualified to serve in his office only because the vice president does not do much of consequence. That vote was necessary because all but three Senate Republicans- Collins (ME), Murkowski (AK), and, surprisingly, McConnell (KY)-fulfilled their duty to advise and consent on presidential cabinet appointments by voting “no” on the unfit Mr. Hegseth.

The close vote on Hegseth highlights the worst of 21st-century American politics. Party loyalty is paramount. Loyalty, especially the belief that if you identify yourself as a Republican, you must support a Republican president, regardless of how reckless or crazy his presidential appointments are. Most of the 53 Republican votes for Hegseth reflected party loyalty, but at least one vote, one can speculate, reflected something more than loyalty.

I’m thinking about Senator Tom Tillis (R-NC). Senator Tillis is said to have been sufficiently concerned about allegations relating to Hegseth’s excessive drinking and abuse of his second wife to consider voting against the nomination. News outlets reported that Hegseth spent more than two hours addressing Tillis' concerns on the day of the nomination. At the last minute, just before Senator McConnell cast his surprise vote against Hegseth, Hegseth posted a letter to Tillis on “X,” Elon Musk’s social media platform. The letter rebutted the allegations against Hegseth, which, Hegseth said, never happened.

The letter, one can believe, satisfied Tillis’ concerns and represented admirable due diligence in considering the nomination. However, reports also circulated that, in addition to Hegseth’s efforts, Tillis, who is up for re-election in 2026, was reminded of how vindictive Trump can be. Tillis could have been threatened with a Trump-endorsed primary opponent. Someone also may have told him that Elon Musk would give millions of dollars, many earned through federal subsidies and contracts, to any Republican who ran against Tillis.

Who knows if that is true? But there’s more.

Just before traveling to California to see the devastation of the Los Angeles fires, President Trump traveled to North Carolina, where he visited the Asheville area hit by Hurricane Helene. Don’t remember Hurricane Helene? That’s because it happened last September — four months ago. Trump has argued that FEMA neglected North Carolinians who suffered losses during the storm and flooding.

Did President Trump promise to revisit federal assistance to North Carolina in exchange for Tillis voting “aye” on Hegseth? That seems plausible, but there is no evidence of that to date.

So, there you have it — unproven speculation that the threat of political retribution and a promise (bribe) of more federal support for North Carolinian flood victims may have given us a drunk, right-wing extremist with no meaningful qualifications to serve as Secretary of Defense the job as the second most important military leader in America — the man who will stand right behind 78-year-old-Trump.

Sometimes, something that stinks like a skunk is one. And sometimes it isn’t. But sometimes a skunk is a skunk even if you can’t prove it. . ..

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