Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has become “emboldened” after ousting some of the military’s most senior officials as he moves to “consolidate control” at the Pentagon, according to a report.
The firing of Navy Secretary John Phelan and the Army’s chief of staff Gen. Randy George was part of Hegseth’s reported pursuit to “consolidate control” of the Pentagon, leaving him “more confident than ever in his job,” The Washington Post reports.
Despite concerns from those in President Donald Trump’s inner circle, including White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Hegseth appears to have secured his standing within the administration amid a turbulent first year in office, the newspaper reports.
“All the power has been taken away from the uniforms and 100 percent gone to the political appointees,” one official told the Post.
Phelan was removed on April 22 shortly after voicing concerns to lawmakers regarding what he characterized as a “land grab” by Hegseth and Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg, according to the newspaper.
Phelan reportedly alleged that the Pentagon’s top leadership had usurped the Navy’s authority by imposing rigid control over shipbuilding and submarine procurement.
According to people familiar with the matter, word of Phelan’s private protests reached Hegseth almost immediately. Hegseth and Feinberg subsequently presented a case for Phelan’s removal to Trump, who approved the decision.
A person with direct knowledge of the dismissal told The Post that the move was orchestrated within minutes of the leadership becoming aware of Phelan’s criticisms.
The Independent has contacted the Pentagon and the White House for comment.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell touted Hegseth for “focusing on executing President Trump’s America First agenda without hesitation” in a statement to the Post.
“From day one, he has moved decisively to restore the warrior ethos, remove [diversity, equity and inclusion] ideology from the military, and refocus the force on lethality and combat readiness,” Parnell added.
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told the outlet that the president appreciates Hegseth’s focus on “readiness” and “lethality,” citing military operations in Iran and Venezuela as successes.
Wiles, who reportedly did not dispute her concerns about Hegseth to the Post, praised him in a statement for bringing “clarity, strength and leadership” to the Pentagon “at a critical moment for our country.”
The support from the White House comes after Hegseth remained defiant under nine hours of questioning before Congress this week. During his testimony, he refused to elaborate on the reasoning behind high-level personnel decisions, including the forced retirement of the Army’s chief of staff.
He faced backlash from lawmakers after he called those questioning his optimistic take on the Iran war “reckless, feckless and defeatist.”
Phelan’s exit marks a turnaround for Hegseth. Following a series of early missteps, including a security investigation known as “Signalgate,” speculation was once high that the former Fox News personality would be the first Cabinet member to be replaced.
Instead, Hegseth has outlasted several colleagues, including former Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who were recently removed by the president.
An administration official told the Post that the status of Trump’s Cabinet members was akin to “that of a grizzly bear chasing a group of hikers.”
“As long as you don’t run the slowest, you’re safe,” they said. “And Pete is not the slowest right now.”
