Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who voted to confirm Pete Hegseth as defense secretary last year, supported efforts to impeach him on Thursday, citing a “management problem.”
“I think I’m pretty well staked out on my assessment of Mr. Hegseth. This is not personal,” Tillis told reporters on Thursday. “I mean, people need to realize I worked as a management consultant. I went into companies and identified areas where they needed to improve. We’ve got a management problem here.”
Tillis’ criticisim of Hegseth comes after Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) introduced surprise articles of impeachment against the defense secretary this week, accusing him of “high crimes and misdemeanors” during his tenure.
However, on Wednesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) delayed that vote until after the midterm elections by sending the House into an early recess. He told reporters that Massie’s impeachment efforts were “ridiculous.”
“It’s a publicity stunt by someone who wants attention. It will immediately be tabled, of course. … We’ll probably do it when we come back, but it’s a stunt,” Johnson said.
Tillis, who was hesitant to confirm Hegseth last year, ultimately folded.
Since then, he has criticized the defense secretary and told followers on X earlier this month that he’d “never witnessed more inept management of the brave men and women who serve our country.”
“He is intimidated by competence and retreats to ginning up culture wars instead of soberly attending to the vital work of our national defense and the health and well-being of our fighting force,” Tillis said of Hegseth. “I urge the President to find a new leader at the Pentagon who will retain and empower our military talent rather than diminish it.”
A reporter asked Tillis on Thursday if he would “encourage Republicans to think about voting in favor” of Massie’s articles of impeachment.
“He needs to go, whether it’s impeachment or the most expedient route — just the president to replace him — would be great,” Tillis replied.