Mr. President, I rise to discuss my concern about the chaos that is roiling the Department of Defense.  Sunday will mark the 100th day of Pete Hegseth serving as Secretary of Defense.  During his confirmation hearing, Mr. Hegseth said, quote, “[President Trump] wants a Pentagon laser focused on warfighting, lethality, meritocracy, standards and readiness.  That’s it.  That is my job.”  Well, Mr. President, Secretary Hegseth is failing the mission President Trump gave him.  His actions over the past 100 days have done nothing but distract the Pentagon and undermine its warfighting, lethality, meritocracy, standards, and readiness. 

In his first 100 days, Secretary Hegseth has terminated or weakened programs and processes that are the bedrock upon which the military recruits personnel and trains servicemembers to go into battle.  For example, in February, the Secretary announced his plan to slash the civilian workforce by 5 to 8 percent, terminate probationary workers, and institute a hiring freeze.  These severe measures have only meant more work for the remaining employees, and more costly work for military officers and contractors to cover the gaps, or simply not carry out missions.

The Secretary has also launched a number of efforts to eliminate diversity and inclusion programs, which have led to more limited recruiting efforts, attempts to separate honorably serving transgender servicemembers, dissolving social clubs at the military academies, banning and removing books from the Naval Academy, and inspiring walkouts by students at DOD schools abroad over book bans and curriculum changes. I joined the Army in 1967 and served on active duty for 12 years, and the idea that dependent children of military personnel, in DOD schools, would protest the Secretary of Defense, to me was inconceivable, but it’s happened.  This shows, I think, great anxiety in the ranks of our military personnel all across the globe.

The Secretary is also failing his duty to lead the Department by example.  On March 24, Mr. Hegseth demonstrated a severe lack of judgment when he texted classified military intelligence on the unclassified and unsecure Signal app to at least two group chats, including one with his wife, brother, and personal lawyer.  That information, if intercepted by an adversary, would endanger the lives of our servicemembers deployed downrange.  The Secretary also installed a “dirty line” – an unsecure internet connection – in his Pentagon office so he could more easily send texts and personal emails.  Such actions violate the laws and protocols that every other military servicemember is required to follow.  The Department of Defense Office of Inspector General is conducting an investigation of Mr. Hegseth’s mishandling of classified information, and I look forward to its findings.

Just hours ago, we learned of press reports that National Security Adviser Mike Waltz may be fired this week because of his own actions around the Signal incident.  If true, I welcome the message of accountability that it sends.  Mr. Waltz made a significant mistake in adding a reporter to a sensitive Signal chat, and his failure of judgment could have had serious national security consequences.  I respect that he took responsibility for his mistake.  In contrast, Secretary Hegseth has refused to take responsibility for his own misconduct, which in my view was far more egregious than Mr. Waltz’s.

Indeed, the fallout from this incident has further eroded the already dismal credibility that the Secretary brought to the Pentagon.  The Secretary’s inner circle of hand-picked advisers have nearly all resigned or been fired.  His chief of staff was dismissed amid allegations of incompetence and unsettling personal behavior.  Three of his senior policy advisors were fired for allegedly leaking sensitive information, which they all staunchly deny.  And his top spokesman resigned after losing confidence in the Secretary, writing, quote, “The building is in disarray under Hegseth’s leadership,” and, quote, “The last month has been a full-blown meltdown at the Pentagon — and it’s becoming a real problem for the administration.”  This chain of events is extraordinary and underscores the concerns I raised at Secretary Hegseth’s nomination hearing.  He does not possess the temperament nor the management skills needed to lead the Pentagon. 

There have been multiple news reports that Secretary Hegseth spends much of his day focused on perceived leaks and that he has become paranoid, lashing out at aides and senior military leaders, convinced that they are undermining him.  He has threatened his top military advisors, including then-acting Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Grady and Joint Chiefs Director General Sims, with polygraph tests in order to prove that these distinguished military leaders are not liars.

The Secretary’s office should be leading the Pentagon, allowing the rest of the Department to be laser-focused on their missions.  But again, President Trump and Secretary Hegseth have made that very difficult due to the internal disarray they have created by firing key military leaders.

These firings include the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Chief of Naval Operations, the Commander of Cyber Command, the U.S. Military Representative to NATO, the Vice Chief of the Air Force, the Secretary of Defense Senior Military Aide, and the top uniformed lawyers, or Judge Advocates General, of each of the military services.  As I’ve said before, if you want to break the law, you start by getting rid of the lawyers.

These are not minor positions.  They are vital to the Department’s mission, and when left unfilled, the military loses focus and missions are compromised.   These officers were fired without a plan to replace them, which is crippling our military’s effectiveness during a perilous time.  More importantly, these officers were fired without explanation, which leads to the worst possible outcome for a military force – fear throughout the ranks that one should not speak up, should not refuse an illegal order, and should not call out abuse nor question decisions. 

General and flag officers are charged with providing their unbiased “best military advice” to the civilian leaders of the Department of Defense. Servicemembers are expected to give candid feedback to their leaders and peers, and commanders expect troops to give them the facts, straight and true, because lives are on the line.  Similarly, Congress expects candor from senior officers to provide their best judgment — without fear of retribution — for both the security of our country, and that of the 2 million servicemembers who put themselves in harm’s way.

But firing officers as a political litmus test poisons this military ethos.  It sends an immediate signal to troops that providing their unbiased best military advice might have career-ending consequences.

I will take a brief moment to discuss the officers who have been dismissed.

General CQ Brown

General CQ Brown served as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and was fired, without explanation, not even halfway into his four-year term.  He was visiting our troops on the southern border when he was abruptly dismissed by the President without even the courtesy of a warning.  General Brown served our nation honorably for more than four decades and led the Joint Chiefs with dedication and skill.  The Senate approved his nomination by a vote of 83-11.  To date, the Trump Administration has given no justification for his dismissal. 

Seven full weeks passed without a confirmed Chairman of the Joint Chiefs.  General Dan Caine has now been confirmed and is working hard to get up to speed.  Given what happened to his predecessor, General Caine must realize that in addition to his duties as the Chairman, he must also deal with the political intrigue consuming the Pentagon.  I hope that General Caine will always provide his best military advice to the President and the Secretary of Defense, even if that advice not what they would want to hear.

Admiral Lisa Franchetti

Secretary Hegseth also dismissed Admiral Lisa Franchetti, who served as the 33rd Chief of Naval Operations.  She was the first woman to lead the Navy, and the first to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Admiral Franchetti served in leadership roles at every level throughout the Navy, both ashore and at sea, and with postings around the globe.  She was a trailblazer, team builder, and inspiration to many.  The Senate approved her nomination by a vote of 95-1.  Again, the Trump Administration has given no justification for her dismissal. 

To date, the Administration has not nominated a new Chief of Naval Operations.  It has been two months since Admiral Franchetti was dismissed, and the Navy remains without a Senate-confirmed Chief of Naval Operations at a time when the service is involved in the most combat operations since World War II in the Red Sea.

General Timothy Haugh

General Timothy Haugh served as the Commander of U.S. Cyber Command and Director of the National Security Agency.  As the commander of Cyber Command, General Haugh led the most formidable cyber warfighting force in the world, responsible for detecting, deterring, and overseeing cyber operations against America’s adversaries – particularly China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and various terrorist organizations.  General Haugh had a distinguished 34-year career within Air Force cyber and intelligence organizations, including multiple command assignments. 

I am extremely concerned that press reports indicate that Laura Loomer, a fringe conspiracy theorist, convinced President Trump to dismiss General Haugh and fire a slew of expert staff on the National Security Council for no discernible reason.   Now, when a conspiracy theorist can get into the President’s office and convince him to fire an officer of General Haugh’s caliber – and others on the National Security Council – there’s not only something wrong with that individual, there’s something wrong with the President who would listen to them without consulting others.

The Senate unanimously confirmed General Haugh to his post in December 2023, and, once again, the Trump Administration has given no explanation for his dismissal.  The Trump Administration has not selected a new CYBERCOM commander, and it’s unclear if there is any sense of urgency to fill this position.  Secretary Hegseth has given a priceless gift to China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea by purging leadership from one of our most vital national security commands.

Vice Admiral Shoshana Chatfield

Vice Admiral Shoshana Chatfield served as the United States Military Representative to NATO, the first woman to hold this position.  She held a vital leadership role within the alliance, particularly as it related to coordinating international support to Ukraine.  Admiral Chatfield was among the finest military officers our nation had to offer, with a 38-year career as a Navy helicopter pilot, foreign policy expert, and preeminent military educator, including as President of the Naval War College. 

The Senate unanimously confirmed Vice Admiral Chatfield to her post in December 2023.  The Trump Administration has given no justification for her dismissal, and has not nominated any replacement to this critical posting at NATO.

General James Slife

General James Slife was the U.S. Air Force Vice Chief of Staff – the second highest ranking officer in the Air Force.  He spent most of his 36-year career as a special operations helicopter pilot.  He deployed many times around the world and flew countless combat missions in perilous conditions.  General Slife risked his life repeatedly for our nation and led his fellow special operators and Airmen with distinction. 

The Senate unanimously confirmed General Slife to his post in December 2023.  The Trump Administration has given no explanation for his dismissal, nor nominated any officer to help lead the Air Force. 

Lieutenant General Jennifer Short

Lieutenant General Jennifer Short was the first female Senior Military Assistant to the Secretary of Defense.  She advised the Secretary and served as the representative for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, coordinating policy and operations across the Joint Staff, combatant commands, and with the U.S. interagency.  A command pilot with more than 1,800 flight hours, including more than 430 combat hours in the A-10, she flew in operations Southern Watch, Iraqi Freedom, and Enduring Freedom, and commanded Airmen at the squadron, wing, major command, and combatant command levels.

The Senate unanimously confirmed her to her post.  The Trump Administration has given no explanation for her dismissal. 

Judge Advocates General

Finally, I am deeply concerned by Secretary Hegseth’s dismissal of the Judge Advocates General of the military services.  These officers, known as “TJAGs,” are the most senior uniformed lawyers in the military. 

These officers each served more than 30 years in uniform as military lawyers.  They were strictly apolitical and held fundamental roles ensuring that balanced, legal counsel was part of every military policy discussion.  These officers provided legal oversight that spanned military justice, operational law, administrative compliance, government ethics, and U.S. adherence to the Law of Armed Conflict. 

These unprecedented firings, along with the firings of the Inspectors General, should alarm everyone about the commitment of the President, and the Secretary of Defense, to the rule of law for the military, and also within the United States and across the world. 

Mr. President, the Defense Department is one of the most complex institutions in the world, with a budget of nearly $900 billion and a workforce of nearly 3 million military and civilian personnel.  It is an organization that requires strong leadership, stability, predictability, and trust.  These qualities are critical because we ask the Department’s men and women to risk their lives every day in service of their country.  Mr. President, those men and women who gave their lives, and all those who still serving at this moment, deserve the best.  They deserve a leader who is as laser focused on readiness, lethality and the mission as they are.  Not someone who treats his position as Secretary as a performative exercise complete with a Twitter feed dominated with workout videos. 

Our servicemembers deserve better.  They deserve someone who is focused on them, not focused on himself.   If Secretary Hegseth does not improve his job performance, the conditions at the Pentagon will continue to deteriorate and something worse is bound to happen.  I hope Secretary Hegseth takes note. 

I yield the floor.