GOP senator issues brutal takedown of Pete Hegseth with subtle dig at Defense chief’s alleged drinking habit amid leadership turmoil at Pentagon
Republican Senator Thom Tillis has publicly criticised US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, calling his leadership "inept" and appearing to allude to previous reports about Hegseth's alcohol consumption. The remarks came in a lengthy social media post urging President Trump to replace Hegseth, following the resignation of Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, who had reportedly clashed with Hegseth over his handling of the department. The intervention highlights growing friction within the Pentagon's leadership and among Republicans over Hegseth's tenure.
Tillis, who is retiring from the Senate and has previously clashed with Trump, accused Hegseth of "ginning up culture wars" rather than "soberly" tending to national defence, and said he had "never witnessed more inept management" of military personnel. Driscoll's resignation followed reported tensions with Hegseth, including the ousting of several of Driscoll's allies, and came shortly after Driscoll voiced concerns directly to Trump about cuts to senior Army leadership. The Pentagon declined to comment, and the departure leaves the US military without confirmed top civilian leadership as it resumes airstrikes against Iran.
- Senator Tillis brands Hegseth "inept," hints at drinking-related criticism
- Comes after Army Secretary Dan Driscoll's abrupt resignation amid tensions
- Tillis urges Trump to replace Hegseth as Defense Secretary
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Republican Senator Thom Tillis has criticised Pete Hegseth, the US Defense Secretary who leads the Pentagon and oversees the military under President Trump. Tillis, a Republican who is retiring from the Senate, made his comments after Army Secretary Dan Driscoll resigned, reportedly after tensions with Hegseth over how he was running the department.
The row matters because it exposes divisions within Trump's own party over how the Pentagon is being managed, and comes at a moment when the department lacks confirmed civilian leadership across some senior posts. The US military is also currently carrying out airstrikes against Iran, which raises the stakes of any instability at the top of the Defense Department.
Hegseth, a former Fox News host, has faced previous scrutiny over his conduct and management style since taking on the role. The Pentagon has not commented on the latest criticism.
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The case for
Supporters of Tillis's intervention argue that a sitting senator with defence oversight responsibilities has a duty to speak up when he believes the Pentagon is being mismanaged, particularly when multiple senior officials are resigning or being pushed out amid live military operations. They see the departure of Driscoll, following reported clashes over personnel cuts, as tangible evidence of dysfunction rather than mere gossip, and view public accountability – even uncomfortable, personal criticism – as preferable to quiet acquiescence when national security is at stake. For them, prioritising sober, competent stewardship of the military over political point-scoring is precisely the standard officials should be held to.
The case against
Others would caution that Tillis is a retiring senator who has openly clashed with Trump before, and that his motives may be as much personal or political as substantive, especially given the pointed and unverified allusion to Hegseth's drinking. They would argue that leadership shake-ups, including the departure of individual officials, are a normal part of any new administration reshaping an institution's culture and do not by themselves prove incompetence. From this view, airing such criticism publicly – rather than through internal channels – risks destabilising Pentagon leadership and undermining confidence in the chain of command at a sensitive moment, when the priority should be unity and giving appointed leadership room to do its job.