Senate Republicans are expressing growing concerns about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's leadership of the Pentagon, with some anonymously telling The Hill they would not support his confirmation if he were being renominated today.
The unease centers on recent personnel decisions at the Defense Department. Reports that Hegseth pushed Army Chief of Staff Randy George to resign in early April, and his decision to fire Navy Secretary John Phelan this past week, have drawn sharp criticism from Republican defense hawks in the Senate.
Sources within the Senate GOP conference, speaking on condition of anonymity, cited long-standing concerns about Hegseth's lack of experience managing a large and complex bureaucracy. They also pointed to what they described as his unconventional and often brash leadership style.
What the Right Is Saying
Republican senators who spoke to The Hill were more measured but no less concerned. Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who cast a pivotal vote supporting Hegseth's confirmation last year, said he questions whether the defense secretary has the management skills needed for an organization as large and complex as the U.S. military.
"I think he's missing the mark on personnel. He has separated some of the most extraordinary generals that we have in play," Tillis said. "I don't quite know what's going on there."
Tillis noted that Hegseth, who served as an infantry officer in the Minnesota Army National Guard, previously had experience managing "30 or 40 people" before taking over the Pentagon. "Now he's got an organization that's much larger, much more complex than anything he's done," the senator said. "I think he's making some less-than-ideal personnel decisions."
An anonymous Republican senator described what they called a "tipping point" after George's dismissal: "The hollowing out of incredible leadership at the Pentagon has been a big concern. It really came to a tipping point when Gen. George was dismissed."
Hegseth's feud with Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has also irritated Republicans on Capitol Hill, who hold Driscoll — a longtime friend and aide to Vice President Vance — in high esteem.
Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell declined to comment on the departures of senior officers but defended the changes as necessary. "It would be difficult to reform the sprawling Defense Department without changing senior military leadership," Parnell said.
What the Left Is Saying
Senate Democrats have not been silent on the turmoil at the Pentagon. A group of four Democratic senators — Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, and Mark Kelly of Arizona — are investigating an early March attack on U.S. troops stationed in Kuwait that killed six service members and injured 20 others.
All four are members of the Senate Armed Services Committee and have sought detailed briefings on the incident amid questions about Pentagon decision-making under Hegseth's leadership.
The Democratic investigation comes as Republicans publicly wrestle with confidence in their own cabinet secretary, creating an unusual dynamic where both parties are scrutinizing the same department for different reasons.
What the Numbers Show
Hegseth narrowly won Senate confirmation last year, with Vice President Vance casting a tie-breaking vote to secure his position as defense secretary — the closest margin for a Pentagon chief in decades.
Military spending across the globe hit a record high of nearly $2.9 trillion in 2025, according to a report released Monday by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). The figure marked the 11th consecutive year of growth in global military expenditures.
The United States accounts for the largest share of global defense spending, with Hegseth set to present the Pentagon's $1.5 trillion budget request before Congress this week.
The Bottom Line
Hegseth is scheduled to testify before the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday and the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday, where he will face intense questioning about his personnel decisions.
The upcoming hearings represent a critical test for Hegseth's tenure. Republican senators who backed his confirmation may use the testimony to signal whether they remain supportive or are prepared to distance themselves from the defense secretary's leadership approach.
Whether that criticism translates into meaningful congressional action remains unclear, as Republicans hold narrow majorities in both chambers and have generally supported the Trump administration's cabinet choices.