On Jan. 21, before the Senate took Hegseth's confirmation to a vote, his former sister-in-law came forward with new allegations against him, claiming in an affidavit submitted to the Senate that his second wife, Samantha, feared for her safety and made escape plans, allegedly going so far as to develop a code word that she could use to get help.

Former news anchor and political commentator Pete Hegseth was sworn in as the U.S. Secretary of Defense, with his family present.