Tillis calls Hegseth vote his 'biggest regret'

In a recent CBS 60 Minutes interview, North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis revealed that his vote to confirm Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is his biggest regret. Tillis defended his vote last year, praising Hegseth's military service and praising him for his passion in modernizing the military. However, as time passed, Tillis began to have doubts about Hegseth's management abilities and decision-making.

Tillis admitted he did not regret his confirmation vote at the time, but now believes Hegseth is "out of his depth as a manager of a large, complex organization." The senator accused Hegseth of making "impulsive decisions not grounded in reality or good judgment" and surrounding himself with "yes-men" instead of experienced military advisers. Tillis also expressed his concerns about Hegseth's handling of personnel decisions and his loss of confidence in the Pentagon chief's abilities.

Tillis' criticism of Hegseth intensified throughout 2025, as reports of turmoil within the Pentagon and the Iran war emerged. He urged President Trump to find a new leader at the Pentagon who would retain and empower the military talent, rather than diminish it. Tillis accused Hegseth of creating a leadership void at the top of the military ranks and witnessed "more inept management" of the troops.

The rift between Tillis and the Trump administration has grown, with the senator becoming one of the GOP's most vocal critics of administration decisions since announcing his retirement. Tillis has publicly clashed with Trump over Iran policy, criticized Cabinet officials, challenged Justice Department matters, and complained about White House aides placing too much emphasis on loyalty to the president.

Tillis has argued that Republicans should not be labeled disloyal for disagreeing with Trump and believes it is the ultimate act of loyalty to tell the president when they believe he is wrong.