Pete Hegseth's growing obsession alarms military leaders: 'Muscles, dudes in dresses'

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's fixation on gender, masculinity and "warrior ethos" rhetoric is undermining the Army's efforts to modernize for future warfare, according to multiple military sources.

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll resigned this week and expressed his concerns that Hegseth was blocking Army transformation efforts by firing the generals responsible for them, a source familiar with his decision told CNN. Multiple officials echoed that assessment, describing Pentagon leadership as more consumed by cultural messaging than by adapting to drone warfare and other battlefield demands.

"It's conflicting because yeah he put out a memo saying this is important, but … he's talking about muscles, dudes in dresses, testosterone," a defense official in Europe told CNN. "We don't see a change at that level."

The characterization tracks with Hegseth's public remarks throughout his tenure. He has repeatedly invoked "dudes in dresses" and gender-related grievances in speeches to troops and industry groups, telling an Iowa State Fair crowd last month that "at the Department of War, we do training not trannies." In October, he lambasted senior officers over beards, fitness standards and what he called "the woke department."

Sources pointed to the ousters of Army Chief of Staff Randy George, former U.S. Army Europe and Africa commander Gen. Christopher Donahue, and former Army Transformation and Training Command chief Gen. David Hodne as evidence the pattern has real costs.

Donahue had been studying Ukrainian drone tactics to better equip U.S. troops, while Hodne had pushed the Army to "innovate with urgency" against threats from China, Russia and Iran. Both were pushed out without public explanation.

"You're taking away three of the most seasoned combat leaders of a generation," a former senior Army official said, calling the concerns "very real."

Hegseth's acting pick for Army chief of staff, Gen. Christopher LaNeve, has continued that emphasis, sources said, describing his approach as "back to basics" and focused on individual soldier standards rather than modernization. LaNeve has not been formally nominated for Senate confirmation and is widely believed to lack the votes to be confirmed.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell rejected the characterization as a "total fabrication," saying Hegseth "has been a transformative leader" who has "slashed bureaucracy, unleashed innovation, and delivered for our warfighters."

Brookings Institution defense scholar Michael O'Hanlon offered a more measured assessment, saying Hegseth is "pretty good on transformation" in substance but "distracts from the real priorities" by engaging culture-war fights.

"He's so obsessed with these false vendettas and battles," O'Hanlon said.

With Driscoll's departure, the Army is left without a Senate-confirmed secretary or chief of staff as the war with Iran continues and modernization challenges remain unresolved.