Sen. Thom Tillis accused the Pentagon chief of “incompetent mismanagement” as the U.S. military struggles with war with Iran.
US Senator Thom Tillis has called on President Donald Trump to fire Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, citing a “leadership vacuum” in the military amid the ongoing war with Iran.
In a social media post Wednesday, Tillis unfavorably contrasted Hegseth with former Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, who submitted his resignation on Monday amid reports of disagreements with the Pentagon chief.
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“I have never seen more incompetent management of the brave men and women who serve our country. Intimidated by competence, he retreats to fomenting a culture war instead of calmly addressing the important work of national defense and the health and well-being of our combat troops,” the North Carolina senator wrote.
“I urge the President to find new leadership at the Department of Defense that will preserve and empower our military talent, not weaken it.”
Tillis is a member of President Trump’s Republican Party. But in recent years, he has faced increasing criticism from within his own party over policies that they fear will have a negative impact on democracy.
In June 2025, amid criticism from President Trump, Tillis announced that he would not seek re-election in November’s midterm Congressional elections. His term ends in January.
Early in President Trump’s second term, Tillis was one of the senators who voted to confirm Hegseth, a veteran and former television host, despite criticism of his conduct with women and his past work.
Tillis only confirmed his last-minute vote in favor of Hegseth, and appears to share some of the concerns being discussed in the Senate.
Since becoming defense secretary, Mr. Hegseth has pursued controversial changes to the Pentagon, including attempts to limit journalists’ access to the Pentagon.
He also launched a broader effort to eradicate what he called “wokeness” from the military.
Efforts reportedly include firing top military officials, blocking promotions, excluding transgender service members and overhauling admissions criteria for top military academies.
In a post Wednesday, Tillis pointed to some of those efforts and questioned why Hegseth seems more fixated on culture war issues than military modernization.
He pointed to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the evolution of warfare in the US and Israel’s war against Iran.
“In places like Ukraine and Iran, our understanding and assumptions about war are being challenged, and Dan (Driscoll) understands that the old ways of doing business no longer work,” Tillis said.
The senator also implied that Driscoll’s resignation was a direct result of Hegseth’s mismanagement.
“If we had a Secretary of Defense who maintained the same priorities and forward thinking, he would be fighting to retain talented leaders like Dunn and the many flag officers he forced into retirement. Instead, he is creating a leadership vacuum at the top of our nation’s military ranks,” Tillis added.
Mr. Hegseth has come under increasing scrutiny in recent months as the United States struggles to meet its goals in the war against Iran that began on February 28. Last week, the war reached six months with no end in sight.
According to media reports, the war has left the Pentagon struggling to reduce its ammunition stockpile, which could hinder future U.S. military operations.
The war has also taken a toll on the Trump administration’s popularity, with approval ratings declining ahead of November’s parliamentary elections.
Since the war began, fuel prices have soared and conflicts have spread across the Middle East.
According to a University of Massachusetts poll released on August 31, more than two-thirds of Americans disapprove of the administration’s handling of the war.
