On Friday night, Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell strode onto the Senate floor and, without a moment’s hesitation, voted against the Republican president’s nominee for secretary of defense. The vote marked the hard launch of a new, unburdened, and final chapter in McConnell’s 40-year Senate career.

After a few GOP senators, including McConnell, voted against Hegseth for defense secretary, the Senate narrowly voted to confirm him.

Matthew Brackley of Waldoboro and Benjamin Bowden from Orrington were among the 15 Mainers who were pardoned for their role in the January 6th riots.

Sen. Mitch McConnell accused new defense secretary Pete Hegseth of having "no substantial observations on how to defend Taiwan or the Philippines against a Chinese attack."

Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell through several personal shots at President Donald Trump’s scandal-plagued secretary of defense Pete Hegseth just as he was barely confirmed for the job on Friday. McConnell,

The procedural vote of 51-49 put the Fox News host on the path for approval Friday evening, after senators engage in 30 hours of debate. If McConnell would’ve voted “no,” it would’ve forced Vice President J.D. Vance to break a tie on the Senate floor.

The Senate on Friday night confirmed President Donald Trump’s nomination of Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News personality, to become the country’s next defense secretary.

"McConnell spent his life creating this crisis...Only at the end does he find a conscience," political commentator Wajahat Ali wrote.

Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky voted against President Donald Trump's nominee to be secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth.

McConnell's vote of conscience against Pete Hegseth, following decades of obstruction, was rendered meaningless after J.D. Vance broke the tie vote.

Senators Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins and Mitch McConnell voted against confirming Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary. To Capitol insiders, their decisions weren’t surprising.

Mitch McConnell, including at one point musing that ... Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), both moderates who had voted against Trump nominees before. That effectively put ...