GOP Senator Tillis Calls Hegseth Worse Pick Than Ousted Noem

North Carolina Republican Thom Tillis went public Friday with a blistering comparison of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to fired Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem, saying Noem looks like a five-star recruit by contrast.

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) publicly criticized Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in remarks reported Friday.
Tillis said Hegseth makes former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem look like a five-star recruit.
Noem was dismissed by President Trump earlier this year after a troubled tenure at DHS.
The criticism marks a rare public break from a Senate Republican on a sitting Cabinet secretary.
No immediate response from the Pentagon or the White House was reported.

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) publicly torched Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday, telling reporters that Hegseth makes ousted Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem look like a “five-star recruit” by comparison.

Noem was fired by President Donald Trump earlier this year following a turbulent and widely criticised run atop the Department of Homeland Security.

Tillis, a senior Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, did not qualify the remark. The statement represents one of the sharpest public rebukes of Hegseth from within the GOP since the secretary took office.

Hegseth has faced sustained criticism over management of the Pentagon, including reported staff turmoil and questions about his handling of sensitive communications. The Defense Department has not publicly addressed the latest salvo from Tillis.

The White House also declined to comment as of publication, according to reports reviewed by the Wail.

The Senate Armed Services Committee is scheduled to resume business next week, where Hegseth's stewardship of the Pentagon is expected to remain under scrutiny.