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Congress Turns Up Heat on Hegseth Over Sudden Firing of Army Chief

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll calls the ouster a surprise learned during a family trip.

Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll testifies during a House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense budget hearing for the US Army, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on April 16, 2026.
Chief of Staff of the Army General Randy George attends a Medal of Honor Ceremony at the White House on March 2, 2026 in Washington, DC.
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George speaks during the POW/MIA National Recognition Day Ceremony at the Pentagon, on September 19, 2025.
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Overview

  • At a House Appropriations defense hearing Thursday, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said he learned on vacation that Gen. Randy George had been told to retire and he praised George as a transformational leader.
  • Gen. Christopher LaNeve, now the acting Army chief of staff, told a House panel Wednesday that only Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth can explain the decision, after LaNeve moved up from vice chief.
  • Lawmakers in both parties criticized the lack of a public rationale and warned of a chill on candid military advice, with Republicans Tom Cole and Austin Scott praising George and pressing for answers.
  • ABC News and other outlets reported that Hegseth removed four colonels from a brigadier general promotion list, and he also ousted Gen. David Hodne and Maj. Gen. William Green, as a Pentagon spokesman dismissed the coverage as a distraction.
  • The April 2 removal, which came during U.S. military operations against Iran and a skinny fiscal 2027 budget rollout, has sparked concerns over readiness and how Congress will scrutinize any nominee to fill the job permanently.