U.S. Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.) called on Friday for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to resign, accusing him of undermining military readiness, politicizing the armed forces, and forcing out trusted and effective leaders in pursuit of what she described as his own political agenda. The statement, posted to X on the morning of September 4, 2026, is the latest in a string of public confrontations between the San Diego Democrat and the Pentagon chief, and comes days after the resignation of Army Secretary Dan Driscoll amid reported friction with Hegseth over the direction of the service.
The Full Statement
Jacobs posted the following statement to X at 12:15 p.m. on September 4, 2026:
“As Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth has undermined our readiness, politicized our military, and forced out trusted and effective leaders – all in service of his extreme political agenda. He should resign.”
In the same post, Jacobs shared a CNN report published September 2 detailing internal criticism of Hegseth’s leadership of the Army following Driscoll’s resignation, using the article to back up her assessment that the defense secretary has prioritized cultural battles over modernization efforts.
A Direct Line to the Driscoll Resignation
Jacobs’ statement follows the resignation of Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, who submitted his departure to President Donald Trump on August 31 after months of reported tension with Hegseth. According to the CNN report Jacobs cited, a source familiar with Driscoll’s decision said he had raised “concerns with the administration surrounding Army transformation and readiness and Hegseth’s blocking those efforts specifically by firing the generals who were responsible.”
Driscoll announced his departure Tuesday evening, saying Wednesday would be his “last full day in the role.” In his own farewell post, Driscoll struck a different tone than his internal critics, calling it the “honor of a lifetime” to serve under Trump and Hegseth and crediting Hegseth’s support for the Army’s progress during his tenure.
Sources Describe a Leadership Void
Multiple sources told CNN that Hegseth’s focus on cultural issues, rather than modernization, has left the Army without key figures who understood how to adapt to contemporary warfare, including drone technology increasingly central to the fight in Ukraine and the ongoing war with Iran. A former senior Army official told the outlet that removing experienced leaders “for arbitrary reasons” creates “confusion and a void” at a moment when the Army is already under strain.
A defense official based in Europe told CNN that despite Hegseth issuing guidance on unmanned systems and speaking publicly about modernization, the Pentagon’s actual posture under his leadership remains centered on cultural messaging rather than substantive reform.
Pentagon Pushes Back
Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell disputed the characterization of Hegseth’s tenure, telling CNN it was a “total fabrication” to suggest the secretary is not focused on modernization, and said the department is fully unified behind his vision. Parnell credited Hegseth with restoring “standards and merit” and driving recruitment and morale to record highs.
Republicans Have Also Voiced Concerns
Jacobs is not alone in her criticism, even among Republicans. Following Driscoll’s resignation, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) posted a message thanking Driscoll for his service while calling on Trump to replace Hegseth, saying he had “never witnessed more inept management” of American troops and accusing Hegseth of retreating to “culture wars instead of soberly attending to the vital work of our national defense.”
Analysts have offered similar assessments. Mike O’Hanlon of the Brookings Institution told CNN that while he believes Hegseth is capable on transformation issues, his preoccupation with “false vendettas and battles” is actively disrupting Army progress and pushing out well-regarded officers.
Firings That Preceded the Resignation
The CNN report also tied Driscoll’s departure to a broader pattern of leadership removals under Hegseth, including former Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, former head of U.S. Army Europe and Africa Gen. Christopher Donahue, and former commander of Army Transformation and Training Command Gen. David Hodne — all of whom were seen internally as central to modernization efforts before their exits. George and Hodne were removed in April without public explanation, and Donahue held a retirement ceremony after leaving his post in Europe with no new assignment.
Not Jacobs’ First Clash With Hegseth
Friday’s statement extends a pattern of direct confrontation between Jacobs, a member of the House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs committees, and the defense secretary. During an April 29 hearing on the Pentagon’s 2027 budget request, Jacobs pressed Hegseth on whether President Trump was “mentally stable enough” to serve as commander-in-chief, citing concerns from constituents in her San Diego district, home to a large concentration of military families with personnel deployed amid the Iran war. Hegseth did not answer the question directly, instead defending Trump as an “incredible commander-in-chief who puts our troops first.”
In June 2025, Jacobs used a House Armed Services Committee hearing to question Hegseth about the discharge of transgender service members, first prompting him to commend the records of three unnamed service members before revealing they were transgender women being separated under the administration’s policy. She told Hegseth at the time that he was “kicking out these three highly qualified service members solely because of their identity.”
Broader Democratic Pressure on Hegseth
Jacobs’ call for Hegseth’s resignation also echoes demands from other lawmakers over the course of 2026. Following a December Pentagon Inspector General report finding that Hegseth had shared classified operational details over an unsecured personal group chat, Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner (D-Va.) said the findings left “no doubt” that Hegseth had endangered servicemembers, renewing his call for the secretary to “resign, or the president must remove him at once.”
New Democrat Coalition leaders Reps. Brad Schneider and Gil Cisneros issued a similar statement after the same inspector general findings, saying the report confirmed the secretary was “incompetent, reckless, and a threat to the lives of the men and women who serve in the Armed Forces.”
Jacobs’ Role on Military and Foreign Policy Issues
Jacobs represents California’s 51st Congressional District, which includes San Diego and the surrounding region — home to one of the largest concentrations of Navy and Marine Corps personnel in the country. She serves on both the House Armed Services Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee, where she is Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Africa, and has positioned herself as one of the more vocal Democratic critics of the administration’s defense policy and its posture toward transgender service members.
What Comes Next
With Driscoll’s departure, the Army is now without a Senate-confirmed secretary or chief of staff, a vacancy that comes as the war with Iran continues and questions mount over the acting leadership under Gen. Christopher LaNeve, whom Hegseth elevated to vice chief of staff earlier this year. Jacobs’ statement signals that Democratic scrutiny of Hegseth’s leadership is likely to intensify as lawmakers return to session and continue to press the administration on the Pentagon’s direction heading into the 2026 midterms.