Pete Hegseth’s pitch for billions more to fund the war in Iran is running into an obstacle he can least afford. The Republican senator whose vote rescued his nomination in the first place is now saying he regrets that decision.
And other GOP lawmakers are showing signs they’re losing confidence, too.
Republican lawmakers who once gave Hegseth the benefit of the doubt are openly questioning his leadership, raising new concerns about whether the defense secretary can persuade Congress to approve his emergency war funding request as frustration mounts over the war’s cost, military shakeups and lack of a clear endgame.
Tillis Goes After Hegseth
Leading the charge is Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, whose deciding vote helped confirm Hegseth.
The outgoing senator has intensified his attacks in recent days, arguing the former Fox News host has lost the confidence of key Republicans at the very moment he needs their support.
“I don’t have any confidence in him anymore. I think he’s all over the place; he’s accelerating the retirement or forcing out some of the most distinguished leaders in the DOD that we have,” Tillis told The Hill. “I think he’s got a massive insecurity complex; he has a lack of experience in large organizations; he micromanages too much. He’s lost my confidence.”
With Republicans holding only a narrow Senate majority, Tillis could prove pivotal again if Hegseth’s supplemental funding request faces resistance.
Tillis said his frustrations extend well beyond the Iran conflict.
“He’s just had so many misstarts,” Tillis said on the On NOTUS podcast, according to various news reports. “What he’s done with the press corps, his sort of bravado when he goes into NATO meetings, his wanting to change the name to the Department of War.”
“He just doesn’t have the experience,” the North Carolina Republican added.
Concerns Over Hegseth’s Past Resurface
Reflecting on Hegseth’s confirmation, Tillis said allegations of alcohol abuse and mismanagement that surfaced during the confirmation process now appear more significant in hindsight.
“At the end of the day, I deferred when I could not find any second eyewitness corroborated testimony for some of these allegations that came out,” Tillis said. “If I had, I would never have supported him.”
While Tillis backed President Donald Trump’s decision to launch military operations against Iran, he questioned whether the president received sound military advice.
“Whoever told the president that you were going to obliterate the military, obliterate the nuclear program, and obliterate any chance that they would ever have nuclear materials should be fired,” Tillis said. “If somebody told the president that was within the realm of possible, I hope to hell they don’t have a job anymore.”
Other Republicans Jump on the Bandwagon
Other Republicans have begun expressing alarm over the mounting cost of the conflict. Hegseth has estimated the war has cost $37.5 billion, while outside analysts place the price tag at more than $132 billion.
One GOP senator familiar with defense policy told The Hill that confidence in Hegseth is slipping inside the Pentagon itself.
Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins, of Maine, criticized the departures of senior military officials during Hegseth’s testimony before her panel. “I find this deeply troubling,” she said.
Tillis argued the leadership upheaval has only made matters worse.
“When you’re a leader, you better damn sure have people smarter than you in the room,” Tillis said.
The Public Piles on
The growing criticism quickly spilled onto social media, where many users argued lawmakers were only now acknowledging concerns that had been evident from the start.
“Failing? Failing? It was doomed to failure from the ‘git-go,’ one wrote on MSN. “What did those Congress critters think would happen when the confirmed the least credentialed and competent man in the room to a Cabinet level position? Holding down a corner of a couch on FOX infotainment.”
“Confidence in an unexperienced, unqualified ex drunk tv host? Who can blame them! Fox boy is in way over his head, our military men and women are losing their lives from his stupidity!”
Others questioned why Republicans had ever backed Hegseth’s nomination.
“He is a Fox News host; he fired the people that know what they are doing,generals with years behind them, so he could do whatever he was told. A child could see this was a poor decision.”
Elsewhere, Tillis also became a target.
“Tillis is retiring so he can now speak up.”
Another voice on Yahoo! added: “People like Tillis truly are disgusting. From the start, Hegseth’s lack of qualifications was obvious to any objective observer. But Tillis bent the knee and acceded to Trump’s demands rather than representing the interests of America.”
