Pete Hegseth is facing a quiet but widening revolt among Republicans in Washington, with multiple GOP senators in the US Capitol telling colleagues this week that they no longer trust his leadership of the Pentagon at a time of war and warning of what one described as a 'hollowing out' of senior military ranks.
The news came after a turbulent few weeks inside the Defence Department, where Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has overseen the departure or dismissal of a string of top officers, including Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George in early April and Navy Secretary John Phelan last week. Several of those moves, according to Republicans familiar with internal discussions, were not signalled in advance to key lawmakers who had previously backed Hegseth's appointment.
