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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is facing significant criticism from senior military officers and Pentagon officials who describe his leadership as unprofessional and damaging to the armed forces.
Multiple high-ranking officers point to his September 30 speech at Marine Corps Base Quantico as a turning point, calling it a “massive waste of time” and “embarrassing.” Critics say the former Fox News host operates with a “junior officer’s mentality,” fixating on issues like facial hair standards and press access rather than broader strategic concerns.
Sources describe unprecedented chaos at the Pentagon, with more than a dozen senior generals and admirals fired since Hegseth took office in January. Notable departures include former Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. C.Q. Brown and former Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti, both removed in February. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin announced retirement halfway through his term, while Adm. Alvin Holsey of U.S. Southern Command plans to retire less than a year into his posting.
Current officers describe an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty, with talent “bleeding” from the services through firings, early retirements, and resignations. They claim promotions and removals often happen for “unknown reasons” based on “favoritism” rather than merit, contradicting Hegseth’s stated goal of a meritocracy. His inner circle has dramatically shrunk, with sources saying he now relies primarily on spokesman Sean Parnell, his wife, and his brother rather than utilizing Pentagon expertise.
Hegseth’s “warrior ethos” campaign focuses on eliminating “woke” policies and establishing gender-neutral fitness standards. While some officers support specific policy changes like tougher fitness standards and inspector general reforms, many view his theatrical delivery as “below our institution.” At Quantico, Hegseth told officers who disagreed with his priorities to resign.
Supporters credit Hegseth with improved military recruiting and advancing initiatives like small tactical drone development and the proposed Golden Dome missile shield. Michael O’Hanlon of the Brookings Institution noted Hegseth has been “stalwart in defense of Asia-Pacific alliances” and promoted responsible budgeting, though he criticized the focus on “culture wars” as a distraction.
Hegseth’s new press access rules, requiring reporters to acknowledge they could be security threats, led most Pentagon journalists to surrender credentials. Both The New York Times and The Washington Times rejected the policy, with Fox News also declining despite being Hegseth’s former employer. Retired Gen. Jack Keane criticized the move on Fox News as an attempt to “spoon-feed information” rather than allow real journalism.
The 45-year-old former Army officer, who narrowly won Senate confirmation 51-50 amid misconduct allegations, faces questions about how long he’ll remain in position and the lasting damage to military readiness.
Read more: ’He lost us:’ Generals, senior officers say trust in Hegseth has evaporated
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The Washington Times AI Ethics Newsroom Committee can be reached at aispotlight@washingtontimes.com.
