Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is facing increased pressure from within the Pentagon, as various officials circulate a letter calling for his removal. According to three Pentagon officials, each with over two decades of experience, drafts of the letter have been shared among senior and mid-level military leaders as well as civilian employees since May 2025.
The officials, who spoke anonymously due to concerns about job security and possible prosecution by the Trump administration, said the letter outlines issues such as politicized decision-making, department-wide dysfunction, and low morale. They described Hegseth’s leadership as fostering a climate of paranoia due to his focus on eliminating dissent within the military ranks.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell defended Hegseth, labeling the letter as “palace intrigue” and dismissing the concerns as media gossip that is irrelevant to Americans. However, the allegations suggest significant internal unrest within the Department of Defense under Hegseth’s leadership.
Whistleblowers pointed out Hegseth’s focus on optics, including setting up a makeup studio in the Pentagon, arranging photo opportunities with troops, and enacting new grooming policies for servicemen. One insider remarked that Hegseth appears to be transforming the military into what they described as a fusion of a sweat lodge and wrestling entertainment.
Sources say the letter criticizes Hegseth for making decisions and implementing policies without consulting intelligence, security, or legal experts. This includes deploying 4,000 National Guard troops in response to protests following immigration raids in Los Angeles, California, and his unilateral decision to pause an arms shipment to Ukraine in January 2025, which caught the White House off guard.
The dysfunction extends to basic military operations, with officials citing Hegseth’s neglect and inconsistencies in several areas. These include defining the U.S. military’s role in space, setting a realistic timeline for the Golden Dome missile defense system, and clarifying communication channels among Pentagon personnel.
Hegseth’s tenure has been marked by a notable decline in military leadership. In May 2025, he ordered a 20 percent cut in four-star officers and a 10 percent reduction in general-level officers overall. The dismissals included Air Force General Timothy Haugh, who led U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency, General Charles Brown Jr., former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Linda Fagan, commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, and Vice Adm. Yvette Davids, the first female head of the U.S. Naval Academy.
Five former defense secretaries, including retired General Jim Mattis, criticized the firings as reckless in a joint letter to Congress in early 2025. They called for immediate hearings to evaluate the national security implications of the dismissals, but Republican leaders in Congress have not scheduled such hearings.
Controversies around Hegseth began before his confirmation. Reports of alcohol abuse, a financial settlement regarding sexual assault allegations, and organizational mismanagement marked his nomination process. His confirmation vote ended in a tie, with Vice President JD Vance casting the deciding vote, as Senators Mitch McConnell, Lisa Murkowski, and Susan Collins voted against him.
Since taking office, Hegseth has faced further scrutiny over his handling of classified information. Reports have surfaced that he shared flight schedules for military strikes against Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen via Signal messaging groups, which included family members and The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg. The Pentagon inspector general expanded an investigation into these security breaches.
In response to ongoing leaks, Hegseth imposed new restrictions on press access at the Pentagon in May 2025, restricting reporters from entering many areas of the building without government escorts. These restrictions apply to his office, his top aides’ offices, and all areas where military service branches maintain press offices.
The Pentagon Press Association criticized these measures as a direct attack on press freedom. The association expressed concern about limiting journalists’ movement through unsecured, unclassified hallways, viewing it as part of a broader effort to limit media coverage of Pentagon activities.
Current Pentagon officials describe a work environment where staff feel pressured to attend Christian prayer services organized by Hegseth during work hours, despite their optional status. Sources also reported that Hegseth’s top aides have restricted communication between workers without security, professional, or ethical justification.
The letter calling for Hegseth’s removal was expected to be made public by late July 2025 at the earliest, according to Pentagon sources. They indicated that the document would formally request that the American public be informed about what they perceive as the Defense Secretary’s inability to lead the Department of Defense effectively.
Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, criticized Hegseth’s personnel decisions as arbitrary. Reed indicated that eliminating positions of skilled and experienced officers without sound justification could undermine military efficiency.
Despite the increasing pressure, the White House has publicly supported Hegseth. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described reports critical of the Defense Secretary as part of a smear campaign against a change agent and denied any suggestions that the administration was seeking a replacement.
