Republican Sen. Thom Tillis is calling on President Donald Trump to fire Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, as The Wall Street Journal reports Hegseth has extended military deployments in the Middle East into 2027.
Tillis, who is not running for re-election and has become a frequent critic of the president, posted a lengthy statement on social media overnight. He is among a small number of Republican senators to publicly call on Trump to take action.
"If we had a Secretary of War who maintained the same priorities and forward thinking, he would be fighting to retain talented leaders like Dan," Tillis said.
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Tillis was referring to Dan Driscoll, the Secretary of the Army who recently left the position.
"And the many flag officers he has forced into retirement. Instead, he's creating a leadership void at the top of our military ranks," Tillis said.
"I urge the president to find a new leader at the Pentagon who will retain and empower our military talent rather than diminish it," Tillis said.
The extension of troop deployments into 2027 comes after Trump hinted at times that the conflict could be ending soon. Tillis has previously served on the Senate Armed Services Committee.
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The calls from Tillis come amid what is being described as growing internal upheaval inside the Pentagon, reflected in part by the resignation of the Secretary of the Army earlier this week.
