Senator Thom Tillis Calls for Replacement of Pentagon Leadership Following Resignation of Army Secretary

<p>Outgoing Senator Thom Tillis, R-N.C., has called for President Donald Trump to replace War Secretary Pete Hegseth after the resignation of Army Secretary Dan Driscoll. Tillis stated, "I urge the President to find a new leader at the Pentagon who will retain and empower our military talent rather than diminish it," in a post on X on Wednesday.</p><p>Tillis praised Driscoll, stating, "He and General George began a transformative period of innovation in how we array our forces and equip our Soldiers. 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."</p><p>However, Tillis criticized Hegseth, saying, "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. Instead, he is creating a leadership void at the top of our military ranks."</p><p>Tillis, who served on the Senate Armed Services Committee for eight years, expressed his concerns about Hegseth's management, stating, "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."</p><p>Earlier this year, Tillis mentioned to Politico Magazine that he would "love to see Pete Hegseth fired because he's incompetent and doing a horrible job." The War Department did not provide a comment on Thursday.</p><p>White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly responded to Tillis's comments, stating, "After Joe Biden’s Pentagon prioritized DEI and woke ideology, President Trump and Secretary Hegseth quickly reversed course and restored a Department of War that is focused on readiness, lethality, and supporting our warfighters. The President has complete trust in Secretary Hegseth, who is doing an incredible job leading the Pentagon. The results of Operations Midnight Hammer, Absolute Resolve, Southern Spear, and Epic Fury speak for themselves."</p><p>Driscoll announced on Tuesday that Wednesday would be his last full day in the position, stating, "As a third-generation Army veteran, it has been the honor of a lifetime to serve as the Secretary of the Army under President Trump and Secretary Hegseth. Tomorrow is my last full day in the role." He expressed gratitude for the opportunity to work with Hegseth and Trump to modernize the Army.</p><p>A source familiar with Driscoll's resignation indicated that he raised concerns about Army transformation and readiness, specifically mentioning Hegseth's actions in firing Generals responsible for those efforts.</p>