Sen. Tillis urges Trump to fire Hegseth over Pentagon management

What This is

• Sen. Thom Tillis called on President Trump to remove Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, saying Hegseth has mismanaged the military.
• Tillis renewed his push after Army Secretary Dan Driscoll resigned following repeated clashes tied to removing senior military officers.
• Tillis and other Republicans said the firings and upheaval have left a leadership void in the Pentagon and the Army.
• Since Hegseth became defense secretary, at least 20 generals, admirals, and senior civilian leaders have been fired, pushed out, or resigned, including the Joint Chiefs chair and the Navy’s top officer.
• Tillis accused Hegseth of focusing on culture-war fights instead of day-to-day military readiness.
• Republicans arguing for Hegseth’s removal say the turmoil is slowing or sidelining modernization efforts, including experimental work to integrate drones.
• In response to Tillis’s latest comments, the White House and Pentagon did not provide a public reply in the reporting.

Why This Matters

• Repeated turnover at the top of the Pentagon can blur who is in charge and slow decisions the military needs for day-to-day readiness.
• Large-scale firing or forced exits of senior leaders can weaken trust inside the officer corps and make it harder to keep and recruit experienced talent.
• If modernization efforts stall, the US military may field new tools like drones and networks more slowly than rivals and battlefield lessons demand.
• Locking one party out of classified budget talks strains Congress’s oversight role and increases the odds of delays that push the military onto short-term funding patches.