Hegseth defends firings, sparks House clash over Iran war spending

Pete Hegseth’s defense of his firing spree ran into a credibility problem at the center of Capitol Hill oversight: he told lawmakers that Barack Obama had fired 197 generals, even though the Pentagon had already acknowledged that figure was false.

The clash unfolded during a House Armed Services Committee hearing that was supposed to focus on the Pentagon’s FY27 budget, but instead became a fight over the Iran war, leadership turnover and whether Hegseth is weakening the officer corps. Pentagon comptroller Jules Hurst said the war had already cost $25 billion, and the department said it would later seek $200 billion in supplemental funding for the campaign.

Democrats pressed Hegseth over the firing of senior officers, arguing that the dismissals were unexplained and politically corrosive. Rep. Adam Smith called the moves “baseless” and said they were “creating further chaos and havoc,” warning that they weaken national security. Republicans also pushed back. Reps. Don Bacon and Austin Scott told Hegseth they disagreed with the removal of Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, while Rep. Jen Kiggans questioned the firing of former Navy Secretary John Phelan.

Hegseth defended Phelan’s ouster by saying, “As you're evaluating whether they're running with the mission they've been given, you got to make a change.” He has already fired or forced out more than a dozen generals and admirals, and the Pentagon has said about two dozen senior officers have been fired or had promotions blocked without explanation, stoking worries about instability and nonpartisanship inside the military.

The firing of George has become a flashpoint of its own. Hegseth removed him on April 2 and the Pentagon said he would retire “effective immediately,” even though CNBC reported that George had more than a year left in his term. Reuters reported that Hegseth also fired Gen. David Hodne, who led Army Transformation and Training Command, and Maj. Gen. William Green, who headed the Army’s Chaplain Corps. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll called George a “transformational leader” and said he learned of the dismissal while away from Washington and later went to George’s home.

The historical record cuts sharply against Hegseth’s Obama comparison. Obama did remove senior commanders, including Army Gen. David McKiernan in May 2009, after only five months in office, making McKiernan the first wartime commander dismissed since Gen. Douglas MacArthur in 1951. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said at the time he wanted “fresh thinking” and “fresh eyes” in Afghanistan. Obama later replaced Gen. Stanley McChrystal after comments that angered the White House.

That history shows presidents can and do reshuffle wartime leadership, but it does not support Hegseth’s claim of 197 firings. In a hearing about war spending and military oversight, the larger issue became whether the defense secretary was exercising lawful civilian control or asking Congress to accept a sweeping purge built on a number the Pentagon had already rejected.