Republican lawmaker claims Defense Secretary Hegseth has weakened the military
House Armed Services Committee member Rep. Don Bacon said recent Pentagon firings and promotion delays under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are damaging the U.S. armed forces.
Rep. Don Bacon, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, told CNN that a series of dismissals and reported delays in promotions for senior officers, including women and minorities, are harming the Pentagon’s effectiveness. He said the firings of roughly two dozen senior commanders, such as the head of U.S. Cyber Command, Gen. Timothy Haugh, have caused “damage to the Pentagon, to our overall military.”
Bacon added that the process has become “politicized” and that the “wholesale” nature of the dismissals is hurting the service. He noted he has worked with many of the removed admirals and generals and described them as “great people” who were fired without clear justification.
The criticism follows the resignation of General Chris Donahue, commander of U.S. forces in Africa and Europe, and comes amid ongoing tensions with Iran, which the administration describes as a tactical defeat. Senior officials have reported a climate of fear at the Pentagon, with staff feeling compelled to consider job security in daily decisions and, in some cases, undergoing polygraph tests and signing nondisclosure agreements on sensitive matters.
The Defense Department has disputed the reporting, labeling it as based on unverified rumors and defending its actions as necessary for aligning the department with the administration’s priorities.