Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth abruptly dismissed a senior military commander after reportedly becoming convinced that he was disloyal, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Hegseth fired Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George earlier this month in a one-minute phone call, without giving any advance notice or explanation.
The episode capped months of escalating tensions inside the Pentagon, including clashes between Hegseth and Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, a vocal supporter of George.
Hegseth’s feud with Driscoll had been simmering for over a year, beginning when the defense secretary was mired in controversy, and Driscoll was quietly discussed within administration circles as a potential successor.
The internal rift appears to have reached a breaking point after The New York Times reported on a dispute over a sensitive Army promotions list.
Hegseth’s team had pressed Driscoll to strike several officers from a list of 29 candidates for promotion to brigadier general, including women, Black officers, and Col. Dave Butler, a former spokesman for retired Gen. Mark Milley.
Meanwhile, most of the other officers on the list for promotion were white men, raising concerns among senior military officials about whether race or gender played a role in who was targeted, The New York Times reported in late March.
As a result, Driscoll resisted, refusing to strike them from the list, citing the officers’ decades of exemplary service.
That resistance triggered a tense, drawn-out confrontation between Hegseth and Driscoll in February, according to people familiar with the exchange.
Around the same time, George sought his own meeting with Hegseth to address the stalled promotions but was rebuffed, according to The Washington Post.
In the aftermath, suspicion inside Hegseth’s inner circle hardened. According to the Journal, Hegseth and his aides suspected George of leaking details of the disagreement to the press—a belief that ultimately led to his removal.
The Daily Beast has contacted the Department of Defense for comment.
The episode echoed an earlier purge in which Hegseth forced out three senior aides amid allegations of leaks. Those aides denied any misconduct, and no charges were ultimately brought.
The dismissal of George—carried out while Driscoll was on vacation—quickly drew attention on Capitol Hill. In congressional testimony, Driscoll praised the ousted general as an “amazing, transformational leader” and expressed deep personal admiration for his decades of service.
“I, too, love Gen. George,” Driscoll told lawmakers.
Criticism has also come from defense experts and lawmakers, who question the timing and rationale of removing a senior commander during a period of significant global military commitments. They warn that leadership upheaval driven by internal disputes risks undermining stability within the Army.
Despite the backlash, the White House has stood by Hegseth, saying he retains Trump’s confidence.
“President Trump has effectively restored a focus on readiness and lethality across our military with the help of leaders like Secretary Hegseth and Secretary Driscoll,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told The Wall Street Journal.
