Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faces a collision course with Republican senators over his handling of Pentagon staff turnover and the escalating Iran war, with key GOP lawmakers now openly calling for his removal and demanding answers on military leadership departures.
On Wednesday, Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, a former member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, called on President Trump to fire Hegseth over what he described as “inept management” of the Pentagon. Tillis said Hegseth is “intimidated by competence and retreats to ginning up culture wars instead of soberly attending to the vital work of our national defense and the health and well-being of our fighting force.”
Tillis’s public rebuke came two days after Army Secretary Dan Driscoll resigned on August 31 following months of tension with Hegseth. According to multiple sources, Driscoll’s departure was linked to disagreements over Hegseth’s firing or forced resignation of senior military leaders, marking another high-profile exit from the Pentagon leadership ranks.
Since taking office, Hegseth has fired or blocked the promotions of more than 80 generals and admirals, according to the New York Times, a purge affecting roughly 10 percent of the Pentagon’s senior military ranks. Among those ousted were General Randy George, the Army chief of staff, and General Christopher Donahue, the top Army commander in Europe—both highly regarded by GOP lawmakers.
Senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota, a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, expressed disappointment over Driscoll’s departure, saying he understood the resignation was tied to disagreements over the forced departures of senior leaders. “We’ve had some very good generals that are no longer there that we respected and that had a huge amount of foundational knowledge,” Rounds said. House Armed Services Committee Chair Mike Rogers of Alabama echoed the frustration, stating “I’m tired of all the churn. I want to see some stability.”
The Republican pushback reflects broader concerns about Hegseth’s management during a protracted conflict with Iran that has stretched far beyond the four or five weeks the Trump administration initially projected. The Pentagon’s comptroller estimated the Iran war has cost $25 billion so far, and the administration is pushing Congress for more than $70 billion in emergency defense spending to sustain operations.
A former senior Republican Armed Services staffer told The Hill that many GOP lawmakers recognize Hegseth as a political liability heading into the November midterm election but are reluctant to confront Trump over a prominent Cabinet member. “Hegseth has treated the Pentagon like his own personal playground in the culture wars,” the aide said, adding that GOP leaders are “too scared to do anything about it” despite their private reservations.
Some of the departures stem from disagreements over military strategy. Several of the ousted generals, including George and Donahue, clashed with Hegseth over the creation of a special Unmanned Assault Battalion in Europe designed to study drone-intensive tactics developed during the Ukraine war. General Christopher LaNeve, the acting Army chief of staff, ordered the battalion last month to refocus on its core mission as an airborne infantry battalion, a decision both Tillis and Rounds questioned.
Senate Republicans are also pressing Hegseth on his approach to securing defense funding. Rounds said he is frustrated that Hegseth’s team has worked primarily with Republican lawmakers while largely ignoring Democrats. “They were only advising and working with Republicans. It needs to be both Republicans and Democrats at the table,” Rounds said, noting that the administration “needs to bring this back to a bipartisan effort with regard to the defense of our country.”
The extended deployment of Navy carriers such as the USS Abraham Lincoln, which spent 260 days at sea before docking in Thailand on Wednesday, and questions about Pentagon transparency on military resources are expected to be subjects of Senate inquiry this fall when the administration seeks emergency defense funding.
Sources
- The Hill — GOP senators headed for clash with Hegseth over turnover and Iran war; quotes from Tillis, Rounds, and Rogers; details on departures and Pentagon strategy disagreements
- Time Magazine — Tillis’s call for Hegseth’s firing and description of “inept management”
- New York Times — Hegseth has fired or blocked promotions of 80+ generals and admirals, affecting 10% of senior military ranks
- CNN — Army Secretary Dan Driscoll’s resignation on August 31 following months of tension with Hegseth
- Wall Street Journal — Army Secretary resignation details and Pentagon leadership turmoil
- ABC News — Pentagon comptroller’s estimate of Iran war costs at $25 billion
