Republican Senator Thom Tillis publicly called on President Donald Trump Wednesday to fire Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, accusing him of failing to lead the U.S. military at a time of active war.
Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, made the call in a social media post in which he contrasted Hegseth with former Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, who submitted his resignation Monday amid reported disagreements with the Pentagon chief. According to Al Jazeera, Tillis accused Hegseth of creating a leadership void within the military.
"I have never witnessed more inept management of the brave men and women who serve our country. He 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 wrote. "I urge the President to find a new leader at the Pentagon who will retain and empower our military talent rather than diminish it."
Tillis voted to confirm Hegseth early in Trump's second term, though he only confirmed that vote at the last minute. Since taking office, Hegseth has pursued a series of changes at the Pentagon, including efforts to limit press access to the Defense Department and a broad push to remove what he calls "wokeness" from the military. Those efforts have reportedly included firing senior military leaders, blocking promotions, removing transgender service members, and reviewing admissions standards at military academies.
Tillis pointed to those priorities in his post, questioning why Hegseth appeared focused on cultural issues rather than preparing the military for modern warfare. He referenced the war in Ukraine and the ongoing U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran as examples of how military thinking must evolve.
"Our understanding and assumptions of warfare are being challenged in places like Ukraine and Iran, and Dan [Driscoll] understands the old way of doing business no longer applies," Tillis wrote.
Tillis is a member of Trump's Republican Party but has become a vocal internal critic in recent years over policies he believes threaten democratic institutions. In June 2025, amid criticism from Trump, he announced he would not seek re-election in November's congressional midterm elections. His Senate term ends in January.
