--- title: Republican Senator Calls On Trump to Replace Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth description: Sen. Thom Tillis is urging the President to oust Hegseth because of what he described as “inept management.” canonical: https://time.com/article/2026/09/02/trump-hegseth-tillis-driscoll-resignation-pentagon/ author: Chantelle Lee article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2026-09-02T22:59:16.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-09-03T20:17:51.000Z article:section: Politics og:title: Republican Senator Calls On Trump to Replace Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth og:description: Sen. Thom Tillis is urging the President to oust Hegseth because of what he described as “inept management.” og:url: https://time.com/article/2026/09/02/trump-hegseth-tillis-driscoll-resignation-pentagon/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3193fc649076b34c/6a98a74f04193c239d96a202/Hegseth-Tillis.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: Hegseth-Tillis.jpg og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Republican Senator Calls On Trump to Replace Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth twitter:description: Sen. Thom Tillis is urging the President to oust Hegseth because of what he described as “inept management.” twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3193fc649076b34c/6a98a74f04193c239d96a202/Hegseth-Tillis.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Republican Senator Calls On Trump to Replace Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. 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Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. by [Chantelle Lee](https://time.com/author/chantelle-lee/) ## Chantelle Lee Reporter Updated: Sep 3, 2026 8:17 PM UTCPublished: Sep 2, 2026 10:59 PM UTC  Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth arrives to meet Australia Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Richard Marles during an honor cordon welcome ceremony at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 2, 2026. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth arrives to meet Australia Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Richard Marles during an honor cordon welcome ceremony at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 2, 2026. Kent Nishimura—AFP/Getty Images by [Chantelle Lee](https://time.com/author/chantelle-lee/) ## Chantelle Lee Reporter Updated: Sep 3, 2026 8:17 PM UTCPublished: Sep 2, 2026 10:59 PM UTC Republican Sen. Thom Tillis is urging President [Donald Trump](https://time.com/collection/100-most-influential-people/2026/donald-trump/) to replace Defense Secretary [Pete Hegseth](https://time.com/article/2026/09/01/trump-response-hegseth-run-for-president-2028-top-contenders/) because of what he described as “inept management.” The North Carolina lawmaker’s call to oust Hegseth comes after Dan Driscoll [resigned](https://time.com/article/2026/09/01/sean-parnell-chief-pentagon-spokesperson-driscoll-army-secretary-replacement-contender/) from his role as Army Secretary on Monday, amid [tension that had been reportedly broiling](https://edition.cnn.com/2026/08/31/politics/army-secretary-dan-driscoll-resigns) between Driscoll and Hegseth for months. In a [social media post](https://x.com/SenThomTillis/status/2095175195648512020) on Wednesday, Tillis thanked Driscoll “for his leadership to our Army and service to our country,” before going on to slam Hegseth. “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 said. “Instead, he is creating a leadership void at the top of our military ranks.” Tillis, who previously served on the Senate Armed Services Committee, included in his post a link to a [CBS News article](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/military-leaders-fired-forced-out-resigned-hegseth-defense-secretary-trump-pentagon/) that lists about 20 military and civilian leaders who have been ousted or stepped down since Hegseth was confirmed to lead the Department of Defense, including Driscoll. Also among them is Gen. Randy George, who was serving as the Army Chief of Staff until Hegseth requested that he [retire](https://time.com/article/2026/04/03/hegseth-army-firings-chief-of-staff/), effective immediately, in the spring. Tillis voted to confirm Hegseth as Defense Secretary last year, though he initially had reservations about him. Amid [mounting controversy](https://time.com/7199646/pete-hegseth-nomination-trump-republican-senators/) surrounding Hegseth’s nomination, three other Republicans broke from party ranks and voted against it, forcing Vice President J.D. Vance to be the tiebreaking vote. It was the smallest margin for the confirmation of a nominee to lead the Defense Department since the Secretary role was first formed in 1947, Senate records indicate. Despite Tillis’ crucial vote in the confirmation, he has since publicly criticized the Defense Secretary. The Republican Senator told [POLITICO](https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2026/05/22/thom-tillis-trump-republicans-interview-00928214?nid=0000014f-1646-d88f-a1cf-5f46b7bd0000&nname=playbook&nrid=e5258108-c464-426a-b285-f2029af35557&utm%5Fsource=firefox-newtab-en-us) in May that he thought that “Hegseth misinformed \[the President\] on the challenges” related to a war in Iran, adding that “I’m glad the president did what he did in Iran. I’m not glad that he has Hegseth advising him on the details.” He went on to tell the news outlet: “I’d love to see Pete Hegseth fired because he’s incompetent and doing a horrible job. That’s kind of on a Christmas wish list.” And he renewed those calls on Wednesday. “I have never witnessed more inept management of the brave men and women who serve our country,” Tillis said in his post on X. He accused Hegseth of being “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.” “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 continued. ## There has been tension between Tillis and Trump before Tillis and Trump have clashed in the past, most notably when the North Carolina Senator joined two other Republicans in the upper chamber in [voting against](https://time.com/7299324/trump-big-beautiful-bill-republican-senators/) the President’s [“One Big Beautiful Bill”](https://time.com/7299226/big-beautiful-bill-senate-trump-murkowski/) last year. In the aftermath, the President lashed out at Tillis, [threatening](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114764184133829613) to back candidates who could challenge Tillis in a Republican primary race. Soon after, Tillis announced that he would not seek reelection in the 2026 midterms, citing what he described as a shift away from bipartisanship in Washington in recent years. “Too many elected officials are motivated by pure raw politics who really don’t give a damn about the people they promised to represent on the campaign trail,” Tillis said in a [statement](https://www.tillis.senate.gov/2025/6/statement-from-senator-thom-tillis) last June. He added that a choice “between spending another six years navigating the political theatre and partisan gridlock in Washington or spending that time with” his family is “not a hard choice.” ## A House Republican says he agrees with Tillis Republican Rep. Don Bacon told [CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2026/09/02/politics/video/ac360-elected-republicans-pushing-back-on-defense-secretary-hegseths-overhaul-of-military) on Wednesday that he was aligned with Tillis in his feelings about Hegseth, though he didn’t go so far as to call for the Defense Secretary’s firing. “I agree with the sentiments of Sen. Tillis,” Bacon said. “I hate to tell the President who he should hire and fire. I don’t know if it’s really my role, but I would say this: I would not—\[Hegseth\] would not be on my team. I think he is—he has not been a very good leader in many ways.” “I wouldn’t hire him myself,” the Nebraska Congressman added. In a [post on X](https://x.com/RepDonBacon/status/2095243157667525109) on Wednesday, Bacon said that the Defense Secretary “has the legal right to hire & fire whom he wants, but that doesn’t make it morally right or wise.” “Firing a large number of senior officers & canceling many promotions demands an explanation,” he continued. “Americans deserve to know why. It is called decency to tell a person why they’re fired.” ## Trump has been vocally supportive of Hegseth Trump has [remained firm](https://time.com/article/2026/09/01/trump-response-hegseth-run-for-president-2028-top-contenders/) in his support for Hegseth. Amid [speculation](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2028-election/pete-hegseth-talking-possible-run-president-2028-sources-say-rcna594891) that Hegseth is considering launching a 2028 presidential bid, a reporter asked the President if he would back the Defense Secretary in such an event. “I think he’s doing a fantastic job, but it’s very early to talk about that,” Trump said. “We have to get through the midterms first, and I think he’s a very good guy.” “Right now, all \[Hegseth\] loves is, and all he cares about is, the military and taking care of the military,” he continued. Hegseth has [denied](https://x.com/PeteHegseth/status/2093475499242934557) that he is considering running for President in 2028. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/article/2026/09/02/trump-hegseth-tillis-driscoll-resignation-pentagon/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/article/2026/09/02/trump-hegseth-tillis-driscoll-resignation-pentagon/"},"headline":"Republican Senator Calls On Trump to Replace Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth","datePublished":"2026-09-02T22:59:16.000Z","dateModified":"2026-09-03T20:17:51.000Z","description":"Sen. 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