Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon: A list of controversies that define his tenure

EXPLAINERThe defence secretary faces renewed scrutiny after a Republican senator called for his removal from the US cabinet.US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has faced scrutiny for pursuing 'maximum lethality' during his term as Pentagon chief [File: AFP]Published On 4 Sep 2026United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is facing increased scrutiny over his leadership of the Pentagon, with some of the criticism coming from within his own party.On Wednesday, Republican Senator Thom Tillis urged President Donald Trump to replace Hegseth, accusing the defence secretary of creating a “leadership void” at the top of the US military.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3The long-term implications of Pete Hegseth’s US military purgeslist 2 of 3Republican senator calls on Trump to fire Secretary of Defence Hegsethlist 3 of 3Trump calls media ‘treasonous scum’ over reports of low Iran war munitionsend of list“I have never witnessed more inept management of the brave men and women who serve our country,” Tillis said. “He is intimidated by competence.”Tillis’s comments came after the resignation of Army Secretary Dan Driscoll on Monday, the latest high-ranking official to leave the Pentagon amid reported tensions with Hegseth.Driscoll’s departure followed a series of firings, forced retirements and blocked promotions among senior military leaders, causing concern about the stability of the Pentagon’s leadership.Hegseth, a former Fox News host and Army National Guard veteran, was confirmed as defence secretary in January 2025 after a contentious Senate vote.Since taking office, he has pursued an aggressive effort to reshape the military, emphasising lethality and what he calls the “warrior ethos”. But senior officials argue that his approach has produced instability and prioritised cultural battles over military readiness.His tenure has also been plagued by a series of controversies. Here are some of the notable ones so far:‘Signalgate’The first major controversy of Hegseth’s tenure came in March 2025, just two months after his appointment.A member of the Trump administration had inadvertently included Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic magazine, in a private chat on the messaging app Signal, where officials were discussing an impending attack on Yemen.Hegseth featured prominently in the discussion. His messages included details about the timing of aircraft launches and strikes.But Hegseth insisted that no “war plans” had been shared across the platform. Experts, however, disputed that assertion, noting that details about an upcoming military operation are typically classified.The military prohibits the use of third-party platforms for operational security, and an inspector general’s report later indicated any leak from the Signal chat could have put service members in harm’s way.Media reports also emerged indicating that Hegseth had been involved in a second Signal chat with his wife, brother and personal lawyer that also included sensitive military information.Hegseth faced no formal punishment for the incidents.Exodus of personnelHegseth’s Pentagon has undergone a sweeping turnover of senior military and civilian officials.Shortly after Hegseth assumed his role, several top military leaders were fired, including Navy Admiral Lisa Franchetti, Coastguard Commandant Linda Fagan and Charles Q Brown, the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.Both Fagan and Franchetti were the first women to serve in their roles. In a statement explaining Fagan’s termination, the Trump administration cited “leadership deficiencies” and an “excessive focus” on diversity.Other officials have left or chosen an early retirement. They include figures like Navy Admiral Alvin Holsey, who faced criticism for his participation in the military’s boat strike campaign in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean under Hegseth.The departures have continued into 2026, with Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll leaving his post on Wednesday.Hegseth has taken the step of removing dozens of names from top military promotion lists, a rare move for a Pentagon chief.Normally, candidates are identified by selection boards in the various branches of the military to be top officers. The process is supposed to be apolitical.But Hegseth has reportedly knocked as many as 80 names off promotion lists for top military offices, including those expected to be elevated to one- or two-star generals.Critics have questioned whether Hegseth has the authority to block promotions. Many have also noted that women and Black officers are disproportionately among those denied top-tier advancement.Attacks on press freedomUnder Hegseth, the Pentagon has developed an increasingly adversarial relationship with journalists.His department has restricted reporter access to the Pentagon press office, and in September 2025, unveiled a new policy requiring journalists to sign a pledge that would restrict their news gathering or else lose their media credentials.That policy was blocked in March, with a district court ruling it ran afoul of the First Amendment’s free speech protections.But further incidents have continued to raise concern about the press freedoms at the Pentagon. Last month, three members of the Stars and Stripes newspaper filed a lawsuit against the Defense Department for censorship, after they were fired for speaking out about editorial independence.Hegseth, meanwhile, has publicly attacked the media, describing some coverage as “unpatriotic”.Warfare strategy of ‘maximum lethality’Hegseth has made “lethality” a central tenet of the US military, a philosophy that has come under scrutiny during overseas military operations.He has also pledged to jettison what he calls “stupid rules of engagement” that limit justifiable military action.Since September 2, 2025, the US military has carried out a series of boat strikes in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, on the premise of protecting the US from “narco-terrorists”.But the identities of those killed remain largely a mystery, and no public evidence has been presented against them. Legal experts have called the campaign a series of extrajudicial killings, with the victims given no opportunity to plead their case.Some families in Colombia, Trinidad, Ecuador and elsewhere fear those killed are innocent fishermen. So far, the death toll from the boat-strike campaign has reached 227, with the latest strikes taking place in August.In at least one case, Hegseth reportedly ordered a “double-tap” attack to kill the survivors from an initial boat strike.Hegseth, however, denied acting unlawfully, labelling coverage of the “double-tap” as “fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory reporting”.He also framed the lethal boat strikes as a corrective to policies under Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden. “Biden coddled terrorists, we kill them,” Hegseth wrote.Since February, the US has also been embroiled in a war on Iran that has raised similar use-of-force concerns. Hegseth has boasted that he unleashed the US military to use “maximum authorities on the battlefield” against Iran — a statement commonly understood to mean a loosening of the combat rules meant to protect civilians.Those comments have drawn criticism after the US Tomahawk missile struck an Iranian elementary school on the first day of the war, killing an estimated 170 people, mostly children.This week, Iranian officials also accused the US of hitting a civilian wedding in the city of Kuhestak, killing at least five people and wounding more than 60.Questions about use of military resourcesUnder Hegseth, the Pentagon has requested a record $1.5 trillion from Congress for its defence budget in fiscal year 2027. Much of that proposal comes in the form of discretionary funding.