Murkowski Opposes Hegseth, Impacting Pentagon Vote (Full Transcript)

Speaker 1: And as we just mentioned, Senator Duckworth's colleague, Republican Lisa Murkowski says she is a no on Pete Hegseth. The Alaska senator posted on X that Hegseth's career has not convinced her that he's prepared to leave the Department of Defense and that his character also gives her pause. Let's bring in our Joe Brown. He's up there on the hill. He's been monitoring everything. So what's Murkowski saying about her decision? And what does, or I guess, you know, does this, how does this alter Hegseth's chances at confirmation? I mean, clearly she's going

Speaker 2: to need other Republicans to get on board here. Well, certainly in terms of Murkowski, in this lengthy statement, she walks through her disagreements with Pete Hegseth at the top job at the Pentagon. She talks about his previous statements saying that he didn't want women in combat roles in the military, statements that Hegseth has walked back. She said she's concerned about confirming him what message that would send to women in the military. She talked about that Pete Hegseth doesn't have the requisite experience in her view to run the Pentagon, a job that she says requires extensive national security experience. She also talked about character and said that those accusations of sexual assault, which Pete Hegseth denies, new accusations in an affidavit sent to Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Armed Services Committee from Pete Hegseth's former sister-in-law of potential abuse, which Hegseth also denies. She says all of that gives her pause about Hegseth's character. That's why Murkowski coming out saying that she's a no, she is the only public no vote right now on Pete Hegseth. But we're keeping our eye on at least two other Republicans at this hour. One is Susan Collins, another moderate Republican of Maine. She and Murkowski are typically aligned on issues of this nature. And a third is Mitch McConnell, who has been very tight-lipped on whether or not he would support Pete Hegseth. In fact, he just walked by this gaggle here behind me and he remained tight-lipped here when me and other reporters asked him if he was going to be a no on Pete Hegseth. There is an imminent key procedural vote on Pete Hegseth's nomination to begin just moments from now. It's not going to be the final vote, but it will be a test vote and give us a sense of how many Republicans, Murkowski included, are willing to vote no on Hegseth. If three Republicans vote no, Hegseth would still be confirmed because J.D. Vance would become the tie-breaking vote there, the vice president, and still put Hegseth over the goal line. But if he gets four Republican no votes and not a single Democratic vote, that will put him on track

Speaker 1: to failing, Kyra. J. O'Brien on the Hill for us. Jay, keep us posted on the voting. Appreciate it.