Pete Hegseth’s Defense Department minions have begun firing back after a blistering criticism of his abilities.
Senior officers accused Hegseth of a range of failings, including a fixation on grooming rules, in a damning report in the conservative Washington Times.
And the on-the-record message from the defense secretary’s main mouthpiece, Sean Parnell, aimed at anonymous military critics of his boss, is that they should consider resigning.
“Our warriors deserve senior leaders who support the mission and put warfighting first,” Pentagon spokesman Parnell said.
“The anonymous general and senior officer quoted in your article should put their names to their comments…and consider resigning from their post,” Parnell, assistant to the secretary of defense for public affairs, told the Washington Times.
The Times reported that senior commanders had lost trust in the self-styled “secretary of war,” 45. His failings included petty social-media dramas and running the building with a “mid-grade officer” mentality—which is precisely what the former National Guard major once was.
“Mainly what I see from him are not serious things,” a current senior officer is quoted as saying.
They also pointed to how the former Fox & Friends Weekend host has pushed out or sidelined talented generals and flag officers, shrinking his advisory circle to a tight cadre that includes Parnell, Hegseth’s third wife, Jennifer Rauchet, and his brother Phil—fueling what they call a climate of fear, sudden firings, and mistrust.
The personnel churn is central to the case of Hegseth’s critics, who paint a picture of a department rife with internal upheaval and “bleeding talent.”
According to the Times, more than a dozen senior generals and admirals have been fired since the Senate confirmed Hegseth in January.
Others resigned or announced early retirements—including high-visibility commands—amid what one former official described to the paper as “unprecedented” chaos in top offices.
“There are people being held back from promotions, or being fired, or removed for sometimes unknown reasons, often for favoritism, or just simple relationships,” another current senior officer is quoted by the Times as saying.
Also high on the list of frustrations was Hegseth’s lecture at Marine Corps Base Quantico on Sept. 30. The defense secretary summoned 800 generals and admirals from around the globe to deliver a 45-minute address stressing “sex-neutral” fitness standards, tighter appearance rules—“no more beardos”—and a vow to end DEI programs. He also told dissenters to “do the honorable thing and resign.”
“The theater of it all is below our institution,” one officer told the Times. “Several of these changes are being made already by the services. And they could be made by any secretary. They don’t have to be announced on stage in public in this grandstanding kind of way.”
For the critics, the moment highlighted the former Fox News host’s reliance on showmanship over strategy. Rather than focus on high-minded war concepts, force structure, and doctrine, they say Hegseth seems more interested in lower-rank matters such as haircuts, weight, and optics.
“It was a massive waste of time. If he ever had us, he lost us,” one current Army general told the Times.
The Times reported that Hegseth’s camp said his point was about clarity, discipline, and merit, adding that he’s been a “stalwart” on Indo-Pacific alliances and budget discipline.
His allies also countered that recruiting has surged since Hegseth took office in January and that he has driven a rapid push to field huge numbers of small tactical drones—evidence, they say, that his back-to-basics “warrior ethos” is resonating and improving readiness.
Hegseth has also drawn up new media restrictions for journalists working at the Pentagon. The rules would allow credentials to be revoked for seeking certain information, and would have required journalists to agree to new limitations.
More than 30 organizations declined, prompting scores of journalists—across outlets from Fox News to The New York Times—to turn in their Pentagon press passes rather than sign a new pledge viewed as a threat to independent reporting.
Like Fox News, the Times is conservative—and it’s among those shut out after the new press rules took effect last week, making Monday’s deeply critical write-up all the more intriguing.
“It seems like it’s all about one guy here,” the Times quoted one officer as saying of Hegseth, which it said echoed “a common refrain expressed by multiple sources.”
“I hope all of this is temporary,” another current officer added. “Who knows how long he’ll be in the position and how much damage he can do.”
Parnell’s response to their gripes suggests the Pentagon isn’t planning to retreat anytime soon.
The Daily Beast contacted the Pentagon for comment. Parnell repeated his desire for anonymous critics to identify themselves and resign.
He also said Hegseth’s “message was simple: promotions and combat assignments will be given based on merit and ability, not diversity quotas,” adding that “political correctness has no home” at the Department of Defense.
