Republican War Hero Torches Hegseth

A Republican on the House Armed Services Committee says Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has “undermined” the U.S. military — and the growing list of blocked promotions and fired generals is making it hard to argue otherwise.

Story Snapshot

Rep. Don Bacon, a Republican on the Armed Services Committee, publicly accused Hegseth of undermining the military by blocking senior officer promotions without explanation.
Hegseth removed at least 9 Navy officers and 4 Army colonels from promotion lists — several were women or Black officers — with no misconduct cited against any of them.
Nearly 20 senior generals and flag officers have been fired or sidelined since Hegseth took over, a pace critics call alarming and unprecedented.
The Pentagon insists all decisions are merit-based, but has not released a full list of removed officers or documented reasons for any of the removals.

Republican Breaks With Hegseth on Military Promotions

Representative Don Bacon of Nebraska, a retired Air Force brigadier general and member of the House Armed Services Committee, has broken with his party to criticize Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Bacon said Hegseth has “undermined” the military and called his handling of senior officer promotions “not moral.” Bacon has also said Hegseth’s credibility is “ruined” and pointed to poor decision-making on multiple fronts, including the so-called Signalgate scandal and Ukraine policy.^[11]

Bacon is not alone among Republicans who are uneasy. His public criticism stands out because he has military experience and sits on the committee that oversees the Defense Department. His willingness to speak out — even as most Republicans stay quiet — signals that the concerns about Hegseth go beyond partisan politics.^[15]

Promotion Blocks Raise Questions About Process and Fairness

Hegseth removed at least 9 Navy officers from a one-star promotion list, leaving no women on the final slate. He also removed 4 Army colonels — 2 Black men and 2 women — from a separate list.^[4] Senior Army leadership pushed back on those removals, arguing the officers had strong records of service. None of the removed officers faced misconduct charges or were under investigation.^[6]

Senior military officials say they cannot recall a defense secretary personally pulling individual officers from a vetted promotion list.^[3] Military promotions go through a long review process designed to keep politics out of personnel decisions. When a secretary steps in without explanation, it shakes confidence in the entire system — especially among officers who have spent decades earning their rank.

Pentagon Says Merit Rules, But Offers No Details

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell has defended the moves, saying the military operates as a meritocracy and that removals were not based on race or gender.^[6] But the Pentagon has not released a full list of the roughly 19 senior generals and flag officers fired or sidelined under Hegseth, and has not provided documented reasons for any specific removal. That silence makes it impossible to verify the meritocracy claim.^[4]

READ NOW: GOP Rep. Bacon: Hegseth Has Undermined and Hurt the Military — Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union," Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) said Secretary of War Pete Hegseth's dismissal of senior officials has hurt the military. |…https://t.co/CVm07sd4Qh

— Top News by CPAC (@TopNewsbyCPAC) June 28, 2026

The Secretary of Defense does have broad legal authority over military personnel decisions. But legal authority is different from sound judgment. When nearly 20 generals are pushed out in 18 months — with no public explanation — and the pattern keeps landing on women and minority officers, the “trust us” defense wears thin. Senator Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, has called the pattern “a politicized military,” warning that politics and combat readiness do not mix.^[10] Even conservatives who support military reform should want to know the real reasons behind these decisions — because a weakened officer corps hurts every American, regardless of party.