Conservatives are voicing criticisms after Hegseth unceremoniously fired a top military leader

Published May 1, 2026 6:00AM (EDT)

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth looks on during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the Department of Defense budget request for Fiscal Year 2027 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on April 30, 2026. (Photo by Alex Wroblewski / AFP via Getty Images)

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth sat for hearings with Congress this week to discuss his handling of the Iran war , along with fielding questions about the Trump administration’s controversial $1.5 trillion defense spending proposal for 2027. Meanwhile, his support among Republican lawmakers is wavering following his firings of numerous high-profile military leaders, which experts say is both concerning and unusual.

Since becoming head of the Pentagon last year, Hegseth has overseen a dozen dismissals, retirements and reassignments among some of the highest positions in the U.S. military.…