Tillis Calls on Trump to Fire Pete Hegseth

Outgoing Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., is calling on President Donald Trump to replace War Secretary Pete Hegseth, accusing the Pentagon chief of driving talented military leaders out of senior positions.

Tillis made the demand Wednesday after Army Secretary Dan Driscoll announced his resignation, per Fox News.

The North Carolina Republican praised Driscoll's work while sharply criticizing Hegseth's management of the Defense Department.

"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 wrote in a post on X.

Tillis credited Driscoll and retired Gen. Randy George with helping push changes in how the Army organizes its forces and equips troops.

"He and General George began a transformative period of innovation in how we array our forces and equip our Soldiers," Tillis wrote. "He challenged our legacy approach to manning and procurement. Most of all, he cared deeply about the men and women in our Army formations and quickly earned their respect."

Tillis then turned his criticism toward Hegseth, arguing that the Pentagon leader's approach has contributed to the departure of experienced military officials.

"If we had a @SecWar who 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," Tillis wrote. "Instead, he is creating a leadership void at the top of our military ranks."

Tillis, who has served on the Senate Armed Services Committee for eight years and held leadership roles on its Personnel and Readiness subcommittee, accused Hegseth of poor management.

"I have never witnessed more inept management of the brave men and women who serve our country," Tillis said. "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 announced last year that he would not seek reelection. Earlier this year, he told Politico Magazine that he would "love to see Pete Hegseth fired because he's incompetent and doing a horrible job."

The White House defended Hegseth, saying Trump has "complete trust" in the Pentagon chief. White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly also credited the administration with shifting the department's focus toward military readiness and lethality.

Driscoll said Wednesday was his final full day as Army secretary and thanked Trump and Hegseth for the opportunity to serve.

A source familiar with the resignation told Fox News that Driscoll had raised concerns about Army transformation and readiness, including Hegseth's role in blocking those efforts by removing the generals responsible for them.