North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis told Pete Hegseth’s former sister-in-law that a sworn statement about his alleged alcohol abuse and abuse of his second wife could convince senators—himself included—to oppose Hegseth’s confirmation as secretary of defense,

Three GOP senators, including Mitch McConnell, voted against Trump’s embattled nominee, forcing J.D. Vance to break the tie.

The North Carolina Republican said he did his “due diligence” and deferred to the Senate Armed Services Committee endorsement.

Pete Hegseth has vowed to bring his “warrior” ethos to the Pentagon. Democrats had assailed him as unfit for the job, and his confirmation came down to Vice President JD Vance serving as tiebreaker.

Vice President J.D. Vance was on hand to cast a tie-breaking vote, unusual in the Senate for Cabinet nominees, who typically win wider support.

WASHINGTON—Pete Hegseth, a former Army National Guardsman and Fox News host, was narrowly confirmed Friday by the Senate as secretary of defense, overcoming accusations of sexual assault and excessive drinking that Democrats said were disqualifying but that he and his allies called smears.