Republican senator Thom Tillis has called on Donald Trump to replace Pete Hegseth as Pentagon chief, accusing him of “inept management” as turmoil deepens at the US military’s highest levels.
The North Carolina senator launched the attack after the resignation of Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, who is leaving the post following months of reported tension with Hegseth.
In a lengthy post on social media, Tillis said Driscoll had been “the right man at the right moment” to lead the Army and argued that Hegseth did not share his predecessor’s “priorities and forward-thinking”.
“Instead, he is creating a leadership void at the top of our military ranks,” Tillis wrote, accusing Hegseth of losing “talented leaders” and blocking the promotion of senior officers.
“I have never witnessed more inept management of the brave men and women who serve our country,” he added. Tillis said Hegseth was “intimidated by competence” and accused him of “ginning up culture wars instead of soberly attending to the vital work of our national defence and the health and well-being of our fighting force”.
The reference to “ginning up” appeared to allude to allegations and reports about Hegseth’s drinking. In 2024, before taking office, he pledged that “there won’t be a drop of alcohol on my lips” while serving in the Trump administration.
Dan Driscoll resignation leaves Army without confirmed leaders
Tillis urged Mr Trump to “find a new leader at the Pentagon who will retain and empower our military talent rather than diminish it”. He was one of the 50 senators who voted to confirm Hegseth as defence secretary in January 2025, in a split decision settled by Vice-President JD Vance.
The senator, who is not seeking re-election, has become increasingly critical of Hegseth in recent months. In July, he said the defence secretary had “lost my confidence”, accusing him of forcing out distinguished military leaders and micromanaging the department.
Driscoll said Wednesday, September 2, was his last full day as Army secretary, but did not publicly explain his decision to step down after 18 months in the role.
He had spoken with Mr Trump about the state of the Army before submitting his resignation. Reports by ABC News and The Atlantic said Driscoll had warned the White House about the removal or sidelining of senior officers and the effect on the Army’s ability to modernise and maintain readiness.
ABC News reported that Driscoll had repeatedly raised concerns with White House officials over Hegseth’s dismissal of senior military officers and attempts to block promotions. A White House spokeswoman, Anna Kelly, said Mr Trump had “complete trust” in Hegseth, who she said was doing “an incredible job leading the Pentagon”.
Driscoll’s departure leaves the Army without a Senate-confirmed civilian secretary or chief of staff. Hegseth dismissed General Randy George, an ally of Driscoll, in April and no permanent replacement has yet been nominated.
General Christopher LaNeve has been serving as acting chief of staff. He recently ordered an Army unit to abandon its specialist focus on drone warfare and return to its core airborne infantry role, prompting a bipartisan group of lawmakers, including Tillis, to demand an explanation.
Driscoll had championed the expansion of drone and counter-drone capabilities, arguing that military contractors needed to be able to develop new technology more quickly as the nature of warfare changed.
His resignation comes as the US military resumes air strikes against Iran after a lull in hostilities during the more than six-month-old conflict. The Army is also facing continuing demands over modernisation and the management of its senior ranks.
Hegseth has overseen the departure or dismissal of more than a dozen senior officers since taking charge of the Pentagon, including former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General CQ Brown, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Lisa Franchetti, Air Force General James Slife and Lieutenant General Jeffrey Kruse of the Defence Intelligence Agency.
Several reports have identified Sean Parnell, a senior Hegseth adviser and Pentagon spokesman, as a possible successor to Driscoll. Parnell is a decorated former Army Ranger who served in Afghanistan and later became a prominent conservative commentator and political operative.
Driscoll, who is a friend of Mr Vance and had built relationships with Republicans and Democrats in Congress, offered a more conciliatory account of his departure in his final public statement.
“It has been the honour of a lifetime to serve as the Secretary of the Army under President Trump and Secretary Hegseth,” he wrote, praising soldiers, their families and the Army’s civilian workforce.
“We could not have made the progress we did without the support of Secretary Hegseth,” he added.
