U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) responded to Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll‘s decision to resign by urging President Trump to replace Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
[NOTE: According to CBS News and Face the Nation, Driscoll’s decision came “after months of behind-the-scenes friction between him and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.”]
Tillis wrote: “I thank @SecArmy Dan Driscoll for his leadership to our Army and service to our country. Dan was the right man at the right moment to lead our Soldiers and Army civilians. Our understanding and assumptions of warfare are being challenged in places like Ukraine and Iran, and Dan understands the old way of doing business no longer applies. He and General George began a transformative period of innovation in how we array our forces and equip our Soldiers. He challenged our legacy approach to manning and procurement. Most of all, he cared deeply about the men and women in our Army formations and quickly earned their respect.”
Tillis added: “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. Instead, he is creating a leadership void at the top of our military ranks.”
I thank @SecArmy Dan Driscoll for his leadership to our Army and service to our country. Dan was the right man at the right moment to lead our Soldiers and Army civilians.
Our understanding and assumptions of warfare are being challenged in places like Ukraine and Iran, and Dan…
— Senator Thom Tillis (@SenThomTillis) September 2, 2026
Tillis continued at length: “I served on Senate Armed Services for 8 years and as chair or ranking member of the Personnel and Readiness subcommittee. I have never witnessed more inept management of the brave men and women who serve our country. He is 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.”
I wanted to reply in the strongest fashion; but all I had to do was read all of the comments below and smile! You, sir are irrelevant.
— Brian Hegseth (@brianhegseth) September 2, 2026
Hegseth’s father, Brian Hegseth, replied to Tillis on X: “I wanted to reply in the strongest fashion; but all I had to do was read all of the comments below and smile! You, sir are irrelevant.”
Others critical of Tillis blamed the senator for voting for Hegseth in January 2025, when the U.S. Senate confirmed Hegseth as Secretary of Defense by a tiebreak-assisted 51–50 vote.
[NOTE: Addressing Driscoll’s departure, Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, also indicated that Hegseth’s Pentagon brass purge may have been responsible. Rounds said on Tuesday: “I’m hearing the same rumors everybody else is: that he was frustrated with some of his top generals being released,” and added, “that’s not the first time I’ve heard that.”]