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🇵🇾 Paraguay /Conflict & Security

Hegseth fuels a purge at the Pentagon and the departure of its civilian leadership

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Newswire Named sources Ongoing story
  • The resignation of Army Secretary Dan Driscoll adds to a series of dismissals, departures and blocked promotions under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
  • The changes have alarmed some Republican lawmakers amid criticism of a leadership crisis and growing power concentration at the Pentagon.
  • The turmoil comes as the war in Iran enters its seventh month and complaints mount over military readiness and conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln.

The resignation of Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has added to a chain of dismissals, departures and blocked promotions that is unsettling even Republican lawmakers. The developments have intensified scrutiny of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, whose title was changed to secretary of war in the source’s account, and his growing concentration of power at the Pentagon.

Army Chief of Staff Randy A. George left in April after months of reports about tensions with Hegseth. Driscoll later resigned, becoming the highest-ranking civilian official in the Army to leave. Republican Senator Thom Tillis urged President Donald Trump to find a new Pentagon leader who would preserve and strengthen military talent rather than weaken it.

Another departure, described as forced, involved General Christopher Donahue, who led the U.S. Army in Europe and Africa. The New York Times also reported that Hegseth had dismissed or blocked the promotions of more than 80 generals and admirals. Many were Black or women, and the moves affected about 10% of the senior military leadership.

I urge the president of the United States to find a new leader for the Pentagon who will retain and strengthen our military talent rather than undermine it.

· Thom TillisThe Republican senator called for a change in Pentagon leadership after the departures and blocked promotions.

The institutional crisis has unfolded as the war in Iran passes six months with no sign of ending. Senior military officials have warned that the prolonged conflict could damage the U.S. military’s ability to prepare for possible scenarios. Families of sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln have also alleged shortages of supplies, contaminated water and widespread deterioration in the crew’s mental health.

The carrier left in November 2025 for a routine voyage before being deployed to Middle East operations. It spent 208 days without visiting a port, longer than any other deployment of its kind in modern U.S. history, according to the source. Trump played down the length of the operation, while Hegseth said reports, including claims that crew members tried to jump overboard, had been “distorted.” The USS George Washington sailed in August to take over the mission. Separately, Pentagon plans for testosterone-deficiency screening have prompted concern among some troops, leading the department to pause clinical requirements for implementing the guidance.

Distorted.

· Pete HegsethHegseth used the word to dismiss reports about conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, including claims that crew members tried to jump overboard.
About this summary

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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