Senator Thom Tillis, R-N.C., has publicly called on President Donald Trump to replace War Secretary Pete Hegseth, citing concerns over Pentagon leadership and alleging that Hegseth is "creating a leadership void at the top of our military ranks." Tillis's remarks follow the resignation of Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, who announced his final day in the role would be Wednesday.
Tillis praised Driscoll in a social media post, stating that Driscoll and former Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George "began a transformative period of innovation in how we array our forces and equip our Soldiers." The senator added that Driscoll "challenged our legacy approach to manning and procurement" and "cared deeply about the men and women in our Army formations."
In contrast, Tillis sharply criticized Hegseth, suggesting that if the War Secretary "maintained the same priorities and forward-thinking, he would be fighting to retain talented leaders like Dan and the many flag officers he has forced into retirement."
"I have never witnessed more inept management of the brave men and women who serve our country," Tillis wrote. "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, who is not seeking re-election, previously told Politico Magazine that he would "love to see Pete Hegseth fired because he's incompetent and doing a horrible job."
Sources familiar with Driscoll's resignation indicated to Fox News that Driscoll had raised concerns with the administration regarding Army transformation and readiness, which Hegseth had allegedly blocked by dismissing generals responsible for those initiatives.
A White House spokeswoman, Anna Kelly, stated that under President Trump and Secretary Hegseth, the Department of War was restored to focus on "readiness, lethality, and supporting our warfighters," reversing prior policies. The statement affirmed that "The President has complete trust in Secretary Hegseth, who is doing an incredible job leading the Pentagon."
Driscoll, in his resignation statement, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve under President Trump and Secretary Hegseth, noting his work to "modernize and accelerate how the Army mans, trains, and equips the most lethal fighting force on the face of the earth."