Here’s what happened.
Republican pressure on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is intensifying as two GOP lawmakers openly challenge his leadership of the Pentagon, including one who is pursuing articles of impeachment.
Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who voted to confirm Hegseth as defense secretary, renewed his call for President Donald Trump to replace him following another high-profile departure from Pentagon leadership.
At the same time, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky has moved ahead with eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth, creating a new congressional headache for the Trump administration.
Tillis Says Hegseth Should Leave
Tillis has become one of Hegseth’s most outspoken Republican critics despite supporting his confirmation.
Speaking with reporters Thursday, the North Carolina senator said Hegseth “needs to go” and indicated that either impeachment or removal by Trump would accomplish that objective.
Tillis stopped short of telling House Republicans how they should vote on Massie’s impeachment effort, instead saying lawmakers in that chamber would make their own decision.
But he made clear that his personal assessment of Hegseth remains deeply critical.
The dispute is significant because Tillis once provided Hegseth with crucial Republican support during his contentious Senate confirmation process.
Pentagon Departure Fuels New Criticism
Tillis renewed his criticism after Army Secretary Dan Driscoll submitted his resignation at the end of August.
Reuters reported that Driscoll’s departure followed tensions with Hegseth over Pentagon leadership and military personnel decisions. Driscoll had served as Army secretary since early 2025 and had advocated for changes in weapons procurement and military modernization.
The White House nevertheless praised Driscoll’s service following his departure.
For Tillis, however, the resignation added to concerns he had already raised about Hegseth’s management of senior military personnel.
Earlier in September, Tillis sharply criticized Hegseth’s leadership and urged Trump to choose a Pentagon chief who, in his view, would better retain and empower experienced military officials.
Massie Pursues Eight Impeachment Charges
The pressure escalated further when Massie formally announced an effort to force a House vote on eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth.
Massie’s office said the charges involve the Iran war, congressional war powers, military operations involving suspected drug traffickers, alleged retaliation against critics, operations in Venezuela and military action in Yemen.
Among Massie’s central arguments is his allegation that Hegseth continued U.S. military operations in Iran without adequate congressional authorization under the War Powers Resolution.
Those are allegations made by Massie in support of impeachment and should not be treated as independent findings that Hegseth violated the law.
Massie said Congress has a constitutional responsibility to hold executive branch officials accountable when lawmakers believe their authority has been disregarded.
Republican Criticism Creates Pressure for Trump
The dispute puts Trump in the unusual position of facing criticism of a Cabinet official from members of his own party.
Massie has frequently broken with Republican leadership, particularly on questions involving presidential war powers and congressional authority.
Tillis has also increasingly challenged Hegseth despite initially supporting his nomination.
Their positions do not demonstrate that congressional Republicans broadly favor Hegseth’s impeachment. Most Republicans have not joined Massie’s effort, and House Speaker Mike Johnson has publicly dismissed Massie’s impeachment push as a “stunt.”
Still, the disagreement comes during a period of broader congressional frustration with Pentagon leadership.
Senators from both parties criticized Pentagon officials this week following a classified briefing on national defense strategy, with several lawmakers saying they did not receive adequate answers about issues including the Iran conflict and military readiness. Other Republicans defended the briefing.
Hegseth Faces Growing Scrutiny
Hegseth has faced repeated scrutiny over personnel decisions, military policy and the Pentagon’s relationship with Congress.
Driscoll’s departure has now added another point of friction.
For Trump, the central question is whether dissatisfaction with Hegseth remains confined to a small group of Republican lawmakers or expands further within the party.
For now, Massie is pursuing impeachment while Tillis is openly calling for Hegseth’s departure.
That combination ensures the Pentagon leadership fight is likely to remain a significant issue on Capitol Hill as lawmakers continue debating military policy, congressional war powers and the direction of the Defense Department.