The apparent firing of Army General Christopher Donahue has prompted a response from one member of the Senate. One representative has criticized Secretary of War Pete Hegseth for the dismissal. Tim Kaine, the junior United States senator from Virginia, spoke about Donahue’s ousting in a recent interview in which he accused Hegseth of only maintaining a group of “yes-men” in the Pentagon.
Pete Hegseth faces backlash for firing Army general
During his June 28 appearance on CBS News’ Face the Nation program, Tim Kaine criticized Pete Hegseth for Army General Christopher Donahue’s departure from the Pentagon.
“He was very well regarded in the Armed Services Committee, where I sit. Both sides of the aisle thought really highly of him, and so the news that he was being ushered out caught us all by surprise, and we don’t yet have good answers from the Pentagon,” Kaine told host Margaret Brennan.
He continued by asking about Hegseth, “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. 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’ve got to wonder, is this a personal thing, or is it really what’s best for the nation?”
Notably, Donahue served as the head of US Army Europe and Africa for a span of 18 months before he chose to submit his retirement papers, as per The Washington Post. Donahue, who had also served as a Delta Force commander, reportedly had a heated argument with Pete Hegseth before his departure.
Following Donahue’s departure, the US Army thanked the veteran for his services and confirmed he would “relinquish command” on July 2. It was further revealed that Deputy Commander Major General Christopher Norrie will be replacing Donahue as the US Army Europe and Africa head.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell reacted to Donahue’s departure by saying, “General officers and flag officers serve at the pleasure of the President and the Secretary of War. They always have and always will,” as per The Daily Beast.
