Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) offered harsh criticism for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday over reported changes at the Pentagon, including a shift in U.S. military posture around the globe and the exits of multiple senior military officers in recent months.
"The careless decision to reduce our force posture in Europe, along with moves by Pete Hegseth and his political henchmen to force out some of our finest general officers is amateur hour at best and deadly at worst," Tillis wrote on the social platform X.
What the Right Is Saying
Tillis is part of a growing chorus of GOP senators who have begun to doubt Hegseth's ability to steer the Defense Department, despite voting for his confirmation last year. The North Carolina Republican described Gen. Christopher Donahue as "one of our nation's finest warfighters" and argued any rumored decision from Hegseth to sideline him would mark "another step down a dangerous path." Tillis also wrote: "Keep your word, Mr. Secretary: choose meritocracy over your mediocre yes-men." Republican chairs of the Senate and House Armed Services Committees have jointly argued that "prematurely reducing" America's force presence in Europe "risks undermining deterrence and sending the wrong signal" to adversaries.
What the Left Is Saying
Progressive Democrats have largely echoed concerns about the direction of the Pentagon under Hegseth, though many had opposed his confirmation from the start. Critics in the party have argued that the dismissals of senior military officers undermine institutional knowledge and professional military judgment. Some Democratic lawmakers have called for congressional hearings to examine whether the personnel changes and troop posture decisions are being made with appropriate strategic review rather than political consideration.
What the Numbers Show
According to NOTUS reporting, which cited five people familiar with deliberations, the Pentagon plans to downgrade the Army's top command overseeing Europe and Africa by mid-summer. The current commander, four-star Gen. Christopher Donahue—who was photographed as the last American to leave Afghanistan in 2021—would be replaced by a three-star or lieutenant general under the proposed changes. Hegseth ordered the cancellation of the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team's deployment to Poland earlier this week, halting the movement of 4,000 U.S. troops. The Pentagon also announced plans earlier this month to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany under pressure from President Trump. More than a dozen senior military officers have been dismissed since the start of Trump's second term.
The Bottom Line
The criticism from Tillis represents a notable breach in Republican unity around the Pentagon's direction. While most GOP senators voted to confirm Hegseth last year, the North Carolina senator's public rebukes signal growing unease within the party about the secretary's decision-making. What happens next will likely depend on whether additional Republican senators join Tillis's criticism and whether congressional committees decide to hold hearings on the personnel changes and troop posture decisions.