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 By voting against Pete Hegseth, the former GOP leader signals that he cannot be counted on as a reliable ally of Donald Trump.

Mitch McConnell may no longer run the Senate, but he demonstrated Friday night that his influence remains formidable.

After days of avoiding questions about his stance on Pete Hegseth’s nomination for Defense Secretary, McConnell became the third Senate Republican to vote against Hegseth. His opposition forced Vice President JD Vance to cast a tie-breaking vote, making Hegseth the first Cabinet nominee since 2017 to require such intervention. This move sent a clear message to Donald Trump: McConnell, even after stepping down from leadership, is prepared to challenge the president—especially on matters of national security.

In a detailed statement, McConnell emphasized the immense responsibility tied to leading the Pentagon. “Whoever assumes this role faces daily challenges with profound consequences for the security of the American people and our global interests,” he said. “Mr. Hegseth has yet to prove he can meet this challenge. The stakes could not be higher.”

Though McConnell’s decision ruffled feathers, it did not entirely alienate his colleagues. Some, like Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), acknowledged they shared McConnell’s broader worldview while ultimately backing Hegseth. “We can’t be isolationists,” Tillis remarked.

McConnell’s actions signal that he intends to wield his vote strategically. After relinquishing Senate leadership, he secured the Appropriations subcommittee gavel, granting him oversight of over $800 billion in annual defense spending. He has also vowed to confront the isolationist faction within the GOP, stating he plans to make the late Sen. John McCain “sound like a dove” by comparison. Earlier this year, McConnell warned against confirming national security nominees lacking the credentials to pursue “peace through strength.”

Trump seemed to anticipate McConnell’s resistance, commenting Friday that “Mitch is always a no vote, I guess,” even though McConnell had advanced Hegseth’s nomination earlier in the process. Their rocky relationship is well-documented. The two fell out after McConnell recognized Joe Biden as president-elect in 2020, and their estrangement deepened after the January 6 Capitol attack. However, McConnell refrained from convicting Trump during his impeachment and has pledged to support him if he becomes the GOP’s nominee again.

McConnell’s dissent on Hegseth could foreshadow future conflicts. His vote is uncertain for other Trump nominees, such as Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence or Kash Patel for FBI Director. Given McConnell’s history with polio, he may also oppose Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination for HHS Secretary due to Kennedy’s controversial views on vaccines.

A staunch advocate for aiding Ukraine, McConnell has consistently pushed back against Republicans seeking to curtail funding to counter Russia’s aggression. Speaking at the Ronald Reagan Library in December, he argued that “America will not be made great again by those who are content to manage our decline.”

McConnell’s Friday statement also criticized Hegseth’s foreign policy approach, particularly his positions on NATO and China. He warned that the new Defense Secretary would face immediate challenges, including Russian aggression in Europe and Iranian-backed terrorism in the Middle East. McConnell also stressed the importance of resolving the unfinished FY25 appropriations process, cautioning that failure could undermine military readiness.

With this vote, McConnell reaffirmed his intention to be a key player on critical national security issues, even from outside the Senate leadership.