North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis has stated he regrets his vote to confirm Pete Hegseth as Secretary of War, describing Hegseth's performance in the role with a "sophomoric sort of execution."
In a podcast interview with NOTUS, Tillis, who is not seeking reelection, responded affirmatively when asked if he regretted his vote for Hegseth. "I think in retrospect now I do," Tillis said. The senator had been the deciding vote, the fiftieth Republican to support Hegseth's confirmation, which allowed Vice President JD Vance to break a tie in the Senate.
Tillis explained that his vote was made after deferring to other senators with more expertise on defense matters. He indicated that if corroborating testimony for allegations against Hegseth had surfaced at the time, he would not have voted for him. These allegations included claims of excessive drinking and sexual assault in 2017, which Hegseth has labeled a "coordinated smear campaign" while admitting he is "not a perfect person."
Criticisms of Hegseth's Tenure
Tillis voiced several other criticisms of Hegseth's work as Secretary of War. "He's just had so many mis-starts," Tillis stated, criticizing Hegseth's interactions with the press corps, his "bravado" in NATO meetings, and the timing of his request for funding to change the Department of Defense's name to the Department of War. "He just doesn't have the experience," Tillis added, reiterating that he initially gave Hegseth the benefit of the doubt but now regrets it.
Hegseth's tenure has been marked by significant personnel changes, including the ouster of over a dozen generals and admirals. Among those removed are Joint Chiefs Chairman General CQ Brown, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Lisa Franchetti, and General Chris Donahue, who commanded Army operations in Europe and Africa.
Tillis's Independent Stance
Tillis announced his decision not to seek reelection in June of the previous year, partly due to primary threats from the Trump administration. This status has allowed him to operate more independently on policy matters. In his capacity as a senator, Tillis previously held up the nomination of Kevin Warsh for Federal Reserve chairman until a Department of Justice probe into the then-chairman was dropped. He also criticized a $1.8 billion fund proposed by President Trump, referring to it as a "payout pot for punks," and expressed reservations about confirming Todd Blanche as Attorney General unless the fund was eliminated.
The Pentagon has not yet responded to a request for comment from the Daily Mail regarding Senator Tillis's remarks.
