Republican Sen. Thom Tillis has gone scorched earth on “impulsive” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over his decision to downgrade the Army’s top command overseeing Europe and Africa.
As a result of the downgrade, NOTUS revealed that the Pentagon is replacing four-star Gen. Christopher Donahue with a three-star general or lieutenant general.
The North Carolina senator condemned the move as a “careless decision” and called out Hegseth and his “political henchmen” for what he said was an effort to push out some of the military’s top officers, calling it “amateur hour at best and deadly at worst.”
“Hegseth would do well to surround himself with more patriots like General Donahue and to get his henchmen, who are not qualified to carry Donahue’s bag, out of the Pentagon,” Tillis added.
The reported move follows Hegseth’s announcement earlier this month that the United States would withdraw 5,000 troops from military posts in Germany.
The withdrawal from Germany also caused concern among Republican lawmakers, who said they were “very concerned” by the decision, particularly that it was “sending the wrong signal to Vladimir Putin.”
Tillis, who is not seeking re-election and has vowed to use the remaining days to speak without filter, wrote Saturday that Hegseth “continues to surprise and disrespect our greatest allies and some of our best military professionals.” He described his decision-making as “impulsive” and “not grounded in reality or good judgment.”
“He is taking another step down a dangerous path,” the senator warned.
Jim Townsend, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense for Europe and NATO policy, told NOTUS that downgrading Donahue to the rank of lieutenant general would be a move “against the grain” for allies who see Russia as a threat.
“Keep your word, Mr. Secretary: choose meritocracy over your mediocre yes-men,” Tillis said.
Trump, who is known for his on-and-off relationship with Russia’s president Vladimir Putin, previously responded to Tillis’ criticism by incorrectly claiming that he is “no longer a senator."
The Pentagon did not respond to an email seeking comment.
It is not the first time that Tillis has gone after top administration officials.
In January, Tillis used similarly sharp language about then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, saying she should be “out of the job” and describing her operation in Minnesota—during which two American citizens were killed by immigration enforcement officers—as “amateurish.”
Noem was fired in March. That same month, Tillis made clear that removing Noem alone was not enough, saying that White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller was also “a big problem” for the president.
