Republican Senator Urges Trump to Fire Defense Secretary Hegseth

US Senator Thom Tillis (Republican, North Carolina) has called on President Donald Trump to fire Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth over what he described as a 'leadership vacuum' in the military while the war with Iran continues.

In a social media post on Wednesday, Tillis compared Hegseth unfavorably to former Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll, who resigned on Monday amid reported disagreements with the Pentagon chief.

'I have never seen such gross mismanagement of the brave men and women who serve this country. He is threatened by competence and retreats to waging culture wars rather than seriously addressing the important work of defense and the health and welfare of the combat force,' the senator wrote.

'I urgently ask the President to find a new leader at the Pentagon who will retain and empower our military talent rather than diminish it.'

Tillis is a Republican member of Trump's party. However, in recent years, he has increasingly become a voice of criticism from within the party over policies he fears could harm democratic institutions. In June 2025, amid criticism from Trump, Tillis announced he would not seek re-election in the November midterms. His term ends in January.

Early in Trump's second term, Tillis was among the senators who voted to confirm Hegseth, a veteran and former television host, despite criticisms over his conduct toward women and his past record. Tillis confirmed his supporting vote only at the last minute, seemingly sharing some of the concerns debated in the Senate.

Since taking office as defense secretary, Hegseth has pursued controversial changes at the Pentagon, including efforts to restrict media access to the Department of Defense. He has also conducted an extensive campaign to eliminate what he calls 'wokeness' from the military, including firing senior military leaders, blocking promotions, removing transgender troops, and reviewing admission standards at top military academies.

In his Wednesday post, Tillis pointed to some of those efforts, questioning why Hegseth seems obsessed with culture war issues instead of modernizing the military. He referred to evolving forms of warfare in Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the US-Israel war against Iran.

'Our understanding and assumptions about war are being challenged in places like Ukraine and Iran, and Dan Driscoll understands that the old ways don't apply anymore,' Tillis said.

The senator then implied that Driscoll's departure was a direct result of Hegseth's mismanagement. 'If we had a Secretary of Defense with similar priorities and a forward-thinking mindset, he would fight to retain talented leaders like Dan and the many flag officers he has forced into retirement. Instead, he is creating a leadership vacuum at the highest levels of our military,' Tillis added.

Hegseth has faced increasing scrutiny in recent months as the US struggles to achieve its objectives in the war with Iran, which began on February 28. The war hit the six-month mark last week with no end in sight. Media reports suggest the conflict has left the Pentagon grappling with depleted ammunition stockpiles that could hamper future US military operations. The war has also affected support for the Trump administration, with approval ratings declining ahead of November's congressional elections. Since the war began, fuel prices have spiked and the conflict has spread across the Middle East. According to a University of Massachusetts poll released on August 31, more than two-thirds of Americans are dissatisfied with the administration's handling of the war.