Another Hegseth Scandal Hurts Trump

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has blocked the promotions of four Army officers selected to advance to the rank of one-star general, including officers who reportedly have professional ties to senior Army leaders who were pushed out under Hegseth earlier this year.

The decision adds to the growing friction surrounding Hegseth’s leadership of the Pentagon and raises new questions about its impact on military morale — and whether the defense secretary’s aggressive personnel moves could eventually create a political problem for President Donald Trump among the troops and veterans who make up an important part of his support base.

According to a U.S. official familiar with the matter, some of the officers removed from the promotion list have connections to former Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, whom Hegseth removed in April, as well as Gen. Chris Donahue, the former commander of U.S. Army Europe and Africa who was ousted in June.

A Pentagon spokesman defended the decision, saying promotions are reserved for service members who have earned them and arguing that the standard has remained consistent under Hegseth.

The latest intervention follows Hegseth’s decision earlier this year to remove four Army officers from a one-star promotion list. That group included two women and two Black men, a move that reportedly frustrated Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and other military officials.

Hegseth’s supporters have rejected suggestions that race or gender played a role in the decisions. The defense secretary has also intervened in promotion decisions involving officers in the Navy and Air Force, drawing criticism from some former senior military leaders.

Retired Lt. Gen. Richard Newton, a former assistant vice chief of staff of the Air Force, previously described Hegseth’s promotion decisions as highly unusual and warned that repeatedly intervening in military promotions could undermine discipline and order within the ranks.

The personnel shake-up comes as Hegseth has removed or sidelined a number of senior military leaders since taking charge of the Pentagon. The Army has experienced some of the most significant changes.

George was removed in April, a decision that reportedly concerned some Republicans in Congress. Hegseth also ordered the departure of Col. David Butler, an adviser to Driscoll, earlier this year.

The Army has additionally been operating without a Senate-confirmed chief of staff since George’s removal. Gen. Christopher LaNeve, a former military adviser to Hegseth and former commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, has been serving as acting chief of staff.

LaNeve’s nomination has encountered resistance in the Senate, where some Republicans have raised objections that could complicate his confirmation.

The tensions extend to Driscoll, who has developed a close relationship with George and is viewed as an ally of Vice President JD Vance. After months of disagreements with Hegseth, Driscoll is reportedly considering leaving his position toward the end of 2026.

The White House, however, is said to want Driscoll to remain in place through at least the November midterm elections.

Hegseth is reportedly considering Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell as a possible successor to Driscoll. Parnell has been one of Hegseth’s senior advisers and a prominent advocate for the administration’s push for greater accountability and cultural changes within the Pentagon.

The continuing shake-up has created an unusual political risk for the Trump administration. Hegseth was brought in with a mandate to challenge what Trump and his allies view as entrenched practices inside the military, but every senior officer removed and every promotion blocked has the potential to deepen resentment among career service members.

That matters for Trump because the military community has historically been an important part of his political coalition. If Hegseth’s personnel decisions begin to be viewed within the ranks as political interference rather than legitimate efforts to improve the armed forces, the fallout could extend beyond the Pentagon and become a problem for the president himself.

For now, the administration maintains that the promotion decisions are based on merit and that Hegseth is pursuing accountability within the military. But the growing number of disputes over senior officers, promotions and Pentagon leadership is putting increasing attention on how those decisions are being received by the people serving under them.