Republican confidence in Pete Hegseth wanes amid Iran war frustrations and Army nomination dispute

Republican confidence in US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appears to be weakening, according to a report published on Wednesday, as frustration grows over the war with Iran and a separate fight over military leadership appointments. The dispute has emerged inside the Pentagon and on Capitol Hill, where several Republicans are said to be questioning Hegseth's judgment and management style. The concerns come as the conflict with Iran continues with no clear end in sight.

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Senator Thom Tillis said he no longer has confidence in Hegseth, describing him as inconsistent and overly controlling. He also said he had heard of a loss of confidence inside the Pentagon and that similar concerns were being discussed on Capitol Hill. The report said the reasons for dissent are not uniform, but they include the war's continuing cost and dissatisfaction with Hegseth's handling of senior personnel decisions.

One immediate flashpoint is Hegseth's nomination of General Christopher LaNeve to be Army chief of staff. Iowa Senator Joni Ernst and others objected to the nomination, which required unanimous support to move forward, according to the report. LaNeve had already drawn criticism when he was appointed acting Army chief of staff in April after Hegseth removed General Randy George without explanation.

Senate Armed Services Committee chairman Roger Wicker also questioned the nomination. The episode matters because it points to a broader test of confidence in the civilian leadership of the Pentagon at a time of war. The report links the unease to the conflict with Iran, which it says began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran on 28 February and has since continued without a lasting peace deal.

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In that context, disagreements over military appointments are not just personnel matters but part of a wider debate over strategy, accountability and command. The report also places the current dispute in the context of earlier tensions between Hegseth and lawmakers. Last year, after President Donald Trump ordered US forces to strike small boats in the Caribbean that he said were trafficking drugs, Wicker and Democratic Senator Jack Reed asked Hegseth to explain the legal basis for the strikes.

They also requested a list of organisations designated for lethal force, but the administration did not provide it, according to the report. That history suggests the current criticism is building on longer-running concerns about how military power is being used and overseen. What remains unclear is how far the Republican unease will spread and whether it will affect Hegseth's position.

The report says some Republicans are questioning other decisions as well, but it does not identify a formal challenge to his authority. The immediate focus is likely to remain on the LaNeve nomination and on whether the war with Iran continues to deepen divisions within the party and the Pentagon.

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