Tillis says Hegseth needs to get out of the Department of Defense
Thom TillisU.S. senator for North Carolina, interviewed on NBC's Meet the Press
On Meet the Press, Tillis called Hegseth a failed leader who needs to leave the Department of Defense, citing the plan to livestream an execution and Hegseth's handling of the Iran conflict.
“This is not who we are, and it’s another example of why Pete Hegseth and all of his bravado needs to get the hell out of the Department of Defense because he is a failed leader and we need strong leadership supporting President Trump right now.”
Interview
Where this statement fits
Should Pete Hegseth be impeached?
Members of the House have advanced multiple impeachment proposals involving Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Rep. Shri Thanedar introduced H.Res. 935 in December 2025, Rep. Yassamin Ansari introduced H.Res. 1177 in April 2026, and Rep. Thomas Massie announced in September that he would offer a privileged resolution. The proposals allege distinct conduct involving military operations, oversight, and the handling of sensitive information; the proposals themselves do not establish those allegations. Hegseth disputed the characterization that anyone was “texting war plans,” while Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson called the April effort a charade and, after Massie read his articles on September 15, defended Hegseth’s record without addressing the specific allegations. The dispute is whether the House should impeach Hegseth on the basis of the congressional proposals and available evidence.
Source and context
Interview
About this source
NBC News's transcript of the October 11, 2026 broadcast, in which moderator Kristen Welker asked Tillis about Hegseth and whether he regrets voting to confirm him.
Before the quotation
Moderator Kristen Welker asked Tillis about the Pentagon's plan to livestream the firing-squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan. Tillis said a broadcast would put American lives at risk and that "the Fort Hood shooter should be put to death" but not in this way.
After the quotation
He continued: "We need to end the conflict in Iran, and I do believe that it's some of Pete Hegseth's mismanagement that has us meandering there." Later in the interview he said he wanted "to try and put somebody in place that will help the president's legacy and make Americans safer."
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
On whether the House should impeach Hegseth, Tillis says Hegseth is a failed leader who must leave the Department of Defense, which matches the objective of the impeachment proposals. He frames the remedy as putting someone else in place to help the president and does not address the House resolutions. That matches his September 17 statement in this case, where he named impeachment as one of two routes and preferred a presidential replacement. A condemning label would treat his call for Hegseth to leave as support for impeaching him.
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More from this case
Read the full caseMejia says Democrats can pursue Hegseth's impeachment and affordability at once
“I think there are some concerns within the caucus, the broader Democratic caucus, that, you know, we can’t get dragged into impeachment proceedings and instead we should focus on affordability. But I think that it is, we can walk and chew gum,”Read statement
Tafoya calls Hegseth's grade incomplete
“We have an incomplete grade right now. ... One thing I'm happy to see is that the President of the United States canceled this online viewing of this death penalty case in Texas. I'm happy to see that. I think the grade is incomplete.”Read statement
Flanagan gives Hegseth an F and says he should be impeached
“F. And frankly, he should be impeached. ... I have seen enough. And I think the people of Minnesota have seen enough from Pete Hegseth. He absolutely should be impeached.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Tillis says Hegseth needs to get out of the Department of Defense". First published: 2026-10-13. Last updated: 2026-10-13. https://disputeindex.com/events/5643-on-meet-the-press-tillis-called-hegseth-a