Former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall III says he “couldn’t serve” in the Trump administration, delivering a sharp rebuke of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s management of the Pentagon.
“I’ve never seen an attempt to politicize our military like the one being conducted by Pete Hegseth,” Kendall told Martha Raddatz on ABC’s “This Week.”
Kendall, who led the Air Force under the Biden administration, argued that Hegseth’s imposition of his will on the armed services “is rippling all the way down through the ranks” of the military.
“It’s causing people to be afraid and … in many cases I think he’s not getting good advice. Because people are afraid to tell him things that he doesn’t want to hear,” Kendall said, referring to Hegseth.
The warnings from Kendall come amid a period of significant turbulence at the Pentagon, with resignations and firings accumulating at a pace that has drawn concern from both parties in Congress.
Army Secretary Dan Driscoll resigned earlier this week after months of reported strife with Hegseth, with Driscoll reportedly feeling that the Defense secretary was creating a leadership void through a combination of firings and delayed promotions.
Hegseth also ousted Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George in April and has blocked promotions of four Army officers with ties to branch officials he previously fired.
The Defense secretary further removed six Army officers from two-star general consideration this week, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Hegseth’s spokesman Sean Parnell pushed back against the wave of critical coverage, attacking reporters for writing about what he called a “worn out and manufactured” narrative following Driscoll’s resignation announcement last Monday.
Republican Sen. Thom Tillis issued a scathing criticism of Hegseth following Driscoll’s departure, with the senator repeatedly referencing allegations about the secretary’s drinking habits.
Members of both parties in Congress have accused Hegseth of damaging military readiness and command structures, while the secretary maintains his personnel moves are part of efforts to ensure the military has the “right leadership,” without elaborating on what that means.
As Defense secretary, Hegseth has sought to rename the agency the “War Department” and has dismantled diversity programs while targeting any policy viewed as “woke” or supportive of inclusion, framing the changes as building a “warrior” culture at the Pentagon.
