Newly-confirmed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth received strong praise from President Trump and other Republicans following a nail-biting Senate vote Friday night that will see him take command of the Pentagon.

It was very difficult to hear properly amid the roar of the helicopter's engine, but Trump did say he was "very surprised" to hear that Republican Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski would vote against confirming Pete Hegseth, his choice to head the Department of Defense.

President Donald Trump has worked to advance a flurry of policy priorities in the first week of his second term, while more Cabinet nominees work through the confirmation process. Follow live updates.

The Senate advanced the nomination of Pete Hegseth as President Donald Trump’s defense secretary Thursday on a largely party-line vote, despite grave objections from Democrats and stirring unease

President Trump’s pick to head the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth, told senators at his confirmation hearing that recruitment has increased since Trump was elected president. He also said there will be a “recruiting renaissance” after Trump takes office and the Pentagon can rid itself of “woke” policies.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), one of the seven Republican senators who voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial, is the latest to express public disapproval, particularly for the pardons for those convicted of assaulting police officers.

President Donald Trump is visiting hurricane-battered western North Carolina and wildfire-ravaged Los Angeles on Friday, using the first trip of his second administration to tour areas where politics has clouded the response to deadly disasters.

The vote came amid concerns about his qualifications to lead the Pentagon amid allegations of heavy drinking and abusive behavior toward women.

The 44-year-old veteran and former Fox News host was sworn into office Saturday after facing allegations of sexual misconduct, misogynistic and racist comments, and mismanaged finances at two organizations.

President Donald Trump, as he is traveling to California to tour wildfire damage, said that someone invited Sen. Adam Schiff (D-California), whom he has frequently criticized and called “scum,” to travel on Air Force One. But it wasn’t him.

Donald Trump has said that he would be open to his billionaire ally Elon Musk or Oracle boss Larry Ellison buying the US arm of Chinese social video app TikTok from parent company ByteDance after granting it a 75-day reprieve on being banned in the US.