Tillis Calls Hegseth Vote His 'Biggest Regret' After Defending It Last Year
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0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. Senator Thom Tillis has publicly reversed his support for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, moving from backing his confirmation and defending that vote to calling it his "biggest regret" and urging him to resign.
The North Carolina Republican, who has increasingly broken with President Donald Trump and members of his administration since announcing his retirement, made the latest comments in a CBS 60 Minutes interview tied to the release of his new book. CBS reported that Tillis now considers his vote to confirm Hegseth his "biggest regret" and believes the Pentagon chief should step down.
The comments mark the latest chapter in Tillis' increasingly public break with the Trump administration , a rift recently centered on Hegseth, the Iran war and the administration's approach to military leadership.
Newsweek reached out to Tillis' office, the White House and the Pentagon for comment on Monday.
Tillis was among the Republicans who voted to confirm Hegseth as defense secretary in January 2025.
At the time, Tillis praised Hegseth's military service and said he looked forward to working with him on Trump's "peace through strength" agenda.
"Pete has a unique perspective as a veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and is unquestionably passionate about modernizing our military and supporting the brave patriots like himself who serve our nation," Tillis said before voting to support his confirmation.
Even after concerns began emerging about Hegseth's tenure, Tillis initially stood by that decision.
In a July 2025 interview with CNN's Jake Tapper, Tillis criticized Hegseth as "amateurish" over a pause in weapons shipments to Ukraine and questioned his management abilities. But he nevertheless defended his confirmation vote.
"That's from somebody who doesn't understand large organization dynamics," Tillis said of Hegseth's handling of the issue, adding that he did not regret voting to confirm him with the information he had at the time.
At the same time, however, Tillis signaled growing doubts.
"With the passing of time, I think it's clear he's out of his depth as a manager of a large, complex organization," the senator said. "I don't think his probationary period has been very positive."
Tillis' criticism accelerated throughout 2026.
In May, he issued one of the sharpest Republican warnings yet after reports that General Chris Donahue could be sidelined as part of a Pentagon restructuring.
Tillis accused Hegseth of making "impulsive decisions not grounded in reality or good judgment" and said the defense secretary was surrounding himself with "yes-men" rather than experienced military advisers.
"If the rumors are true that Hegseth is trying to sideline General Chris Donahue, one of our nation's finest warfighters, by downgrading U.S. Army Europe-Africa to a 3-star command, he is taking another step down a dangerous path," Tillis wrote on X.
Related Story Thom Tillis Warns Pete Hegseth Against Ousting Another Top US General The senator later broadened his criticism beyond personnel decisions.
In July, amid mounting Republican concerns about the Iran war, Tillis told The Hill that Hegseth had "lost my confidence."
"I don't have any confidence in him anymore," Tillis said. "He's all over the place."
Related Story GOP Senator Says Pete Hegseth Has ‘Lost My Confidence’ as Iran War Drags On He accused Hegseth of micromanaging the Pentagon, pushing out respected military leaders and lacking the experience needed to run a massive organization. Trump quickly defended Hegseth.
"No. I think he's done a great job. We've pretty much destroyed their military," Trump told reporters.
Tillis' criticism escalated again in September after the resignation of Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and reports of additional turmoil inside the Pentagon.
"I urge the President to find a new leader at the Pentagon who will retain and empower our military talent rather than diminish it," Tillis wrote on X.
He later accused Hegseth of "creating a leadership void at the top of our military ranks" and said he had "never witnessed more inept management of the brave men and women who serve our country."
The Hegseth dispute has unfolded against the backdrop of a much broader split between Tillis and the Trump administration.
Since announcing he would not seek reelection, Tillis has emerged as one of the Senate GOP's most outspoken critics of administration decisions.
The rift between the senator and Trump deepened after Tillis opposed the One Big Beautiful Bill, citing concerns about Medicaid coverage. Trump threatened to support a primary challenger, and Tillis subsequently announced he would not seek reelection .
He has publicly clashed with Trump over Iran policy, criticized Cabinet officials, challenged Justice Department matters and complained that some White House aides place too much emphasis on personal loyalty to the president.
Last month, Tillis argued Republicans should not be branded disloyal merely for disagreeing with Trump .
"I have said that we have got to get away from this one disagreement with the president makes you disloyal," Tillis said.
He added: "People in the White House need to get over a loyalty test or a perfect test. I'm not here to please the president, I'm here to please the people that voted for me in North Carolina."
The senator has also argued that Republicans should be willing to tell Trump when they believe he is wrong.
"In fact, I think it's the ultimate act of loyalty to be truthful to the president and the administration," Tillis said.
Those disagreements have repeatedly put him at odds with Trump, who previously labeled the senator a "RINO" (Republican in Name Only) and a "nitpicker" during one of their public disputes.
In the 60 Minutes interview that aired Sunday, Tillis described an…
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