Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., a retired Air Force brigadier general, said he agrees with fellow Republican Sen. Thom Tillis’s call for President Donald Trump to replace Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in an interview on CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360” with Jim Sciutto.
Bacon: “He Would Not Be on My Team”
Asked directly whether he agreed with Tillis, Bacon said: “I agree with the sentiments of Senator Tillis. I hate to tell the president who he should hire and fire. I don’t know if it’s really my role, but I would say this: I would not — he would not be on my team. I think he has not been a very good leader in many ways.”
Bacon Says He Warned Colleagues Before Hegseth’s Confirmation
Bacon said he told Senate colleagues he had concerns before Hegseth’s narrow, tie-breaking confirmation in January 2025. “I told a few senators that I would vote no, and I was told by some — I’ll keep them nameless — ‘Don, you’re not under all the pressure that we’re under to vote for him,'” Bacon said. “I felt like he was trouble from the beginning.”
Bacon Cites Signal Chat Controversy as Early Warning Sign
Bacon pointed to Hegseth’s handling of the 2025 controversy in which he shared military strike plans in a Signal messaging chat as an example of poor accountability. “What bothered me there, he put classified information on an unclassified phone and unclassified application, gets caught. And instead of just saying, ‘You know, I was wrong, I shouldn’t have done it,’ he gets mad at the reporter,” Bacon said. “I expect leaders to take responsibility when they fail and they make a mistake.”
Bacon Says Roughly 20 Generals and Admirals Have Been Forced Out Without Explanation
Bacon said the pattern of firings extends well beyond senior civilian officials. “He’s fired approximately 20 generals and admirals… mainly three and four stars. Now we’re seeing service secretaries as well, either resigning or being fired,” Bacon said. “It’s not only just 20. It’s no explanation… Most Americans want more respect and decency out of their senior leadership.” Bacon’s figure is consistent with independent tracking by CBS News, which identified at least 20 uniformed and civilian defense leaders fired or forced out during Hegseth’s tenure; when combined with reported blocked promotions, CBS reported that more than 80 general and flag officer careers have been altered or sidelined in total, and that the military currently has no active-duty four-star women.
Hegseth Has Said the Changes Reflect a Focus on Merit, Not Identity
Hegseth has said his personnel decisions are based solely on merit and readiness rather than race or gender, and has criticized what he has described as an excessive focus on diversity initiatives within the officer corps under prior administrations. In May 2025, he separately ordered a 20% reduction in the number of active-duty four-star generals and admirals across the military, according to a memorandum posted on the Defense Department’s website, part of a broader Pentagon restructuring effort Congress has periodically mandated in the past to reduce senior-officer ranks. Some removals cited in independent reporting have had separately stated explanations, including suspected unauthorized disclosures to journalists; public records do not establish that race or sex determined the outcome in every case.
Bacon Says Vacancies Have Left the Military Unable to Adapt
Bacon cited the aftermath of Gen. Timothy Haugh’s April 2025 firing as head of U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency as an example of the practical toll, saying the position went without permanent, Senate-confirmed leadership for nearly 11 months. Lt. Gen. William Hartman, Haugh’s deputy, moved into the role in an acting capacity immediately after the firing. “It’s very hard for a deputy who’s filling that role to make major changes,” Bacon said. “They’re not going to make needed changes that were maybe necessary.” The Pentagon did not publicly state a reason for Haugh’s removal at the time; then-chief spokesman Sean Parnell thanked Haugh for his service without elaborating.
Hegseth Drew Separate Criticism for Mocking Canadian Cadets
The interview also touched on a since-widely-criticized post Hegseth made on X, sharing a photo of a Canadian military cadet and her instructor with the caption “this is real,” widely interpreted as mocking their appearance. Bacon called the post “low brow” and “unprofessional.” “I thought it was demeaning and uncalled for,” he said.
Former GOP Congressman Called Post “Punching Down” on Children
Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., wrote on X that “our a**hat of a Secdef is making fun of children,” calling the remark evidence that “MAGA males are betas who have to punch down to feel big.” The Pentagon defended the post; deputy press secretary Jacob Bliss told reporters “the X post speaks for itself.”
Canadian Officials Condemned the Post as “Beneath” the Office
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters the post was “beneath their office,” while British Columbia Premier David Eby called it “an embarrassment.” Canada’s Department of National Defence said in a statement that it remained “proud of the professionalism and contributions of all our dedicated Canadian Armed Forces members.”
Driscoll Reportedly Told Trump Directly About Concerns Before Resigning
The controversies come as Army Secretary Dan Driscoll’s Sept. 2 departure capped months of reported tension with Hegseth. Citing The Atlantic, Sciutto reported that Driscoll told Trump in person, before announcing his resignation, how many generals and senior officers had been forced out under Hegseth, and that Trump was reportedly surprised by the scale of the departures.
Panel Noted Army Disbanded a Drone Warfare Unit Amid the Turmoil
CNN political commentator Sabrina Singh, a former deputy Pentagon press secretary, said on the same broadcast that Hegseth and acting Army Chief of Staff Gen. Christopher LaNeve had disbanded an Army drone battalion focused on studying modern drone warfare, calling the move “quite shocking” and saying it “should alarm everyone in Congress, not just Democrats, but Republicans alike.”
White House Says Trump Retains Full Confidence in Hegseth
CNN chief White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins reported that Trump publicly praised Hegseth hours after the criticism, telling Republican lawmakers at a Rose Garden dinner that he had spoken with Hegseth by phone during U.S. strikes on Iran the previous night. Collins said the relationship between Trump and Hegseth remained the decisive factor, and that “he still has his backing.”