Tim Kaine raises concerns over Gen. Chris Donahue’s retirement and Pentagon leadership changes, questioning War Secretary Pete Hegseth’s decisions.
Senator Tim Kaine said Sunday that the forced retirement of Gen. Chris Donahue appears to stem from War Secretary Pete Hegseth’s personal “grudge” against the Army, raising concerns that the Pentagon chief is purging truth-tellers in favor of loyalists, The Hill reported.
“Are you pushing out the truth tellers to surround yourself by yes-men? And in particular, it looks like the secretary is coming down hardest … on the Army,” Kaine told host Margaret Brennan on CBS News‘ “Face the Nation.”
The Virginia senator pointed to Hegseth’s own military service, suggesting past grievances are now influencing personnel decisions. “He served in the Army, he felt like he wasn’t treated well by the Army, that’s a grudge he’s carried that he’s described publicly. And so, when you see Army officers forced out, you got to wonder, is this a personal thing, or is it really what’s best for the nation?” Kaine added.
Donahue, the commander of US Army Europe and Africa, submitted retirement papers earlier this week after just over a year in the role, according to a Pentagon official. The Army confirmed to The Hill that Donahue will relinquish command on July 2.
His departure is the latest in a growing list of senior military leaders either removed or pushed out by Hegseth. That list includes Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., former chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the Navy’s chief of naval operations; Adm. Linda Fagan, commandant of the Coast Guard; Gen. Randy George, the Army’s chief of staff; and Gen. James Mingus, the Army’s vice chief of staff.
Bipartisan reactions sweep in
The ouster has drawn concern from lawmakers across the political spectrum. Senator Thom Tillis called the move an “unforced” error by Hegseth, writing on social media: “Strong leaders are not threatened by accomplished commanders. Weak ones are. His paranoid micromanagement of senior military leaders and promotion lists is pure insecurity dressed up as reform.”
Representative Clay Higgins urged caution, saying the facts should come out before conclusions are drawn. “I don’t automatically presume some improper decision was made by chain of command when somebody is let go and removed from a chain of command that was unexpected,” said Higgins, a member of the House Armed Services Committee.
Kaine, who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Donahue’s departure “caught us all by surprise” and noted that the panel does not “yet have good answers from the Pentagon” on the matter.
House panels tighten rules on firing generals
Earlier this month, the House Armed Services Committee adopted a provision in the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) requiring the Pentagon to inform Congress in writing, within five days, of the reason behind any senior military officer’s firing or dismissal.
Senator Tim Kaine also floated the possibility of further congressional “guardrails” on Pentagon personnel actions, suggesting senators could take up additional measures when the NDAA reaches the Senate floor for a vote later this year.
“When we bring it up on the floor, I think by then, we’ll have some of our questions answered, and if we need to go [further] to put some guardrails in place, you’ll probably find bipartisan support to do that,” Kaine told CBS News‘ “Face the Nation.”
We remind our readers that publication of articles on our site does not mean that we agree with what is written. Our policy is to publish anything which we consider of interest, so as to assist our readers in forming their opinions. Sometimes we even publish articles with which we totally disagree, since we believe it is important for our readers to be informed on as wide a spectrum of views as possible.