Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has come under fire for publicly feuding with top military generals amid a "four-star general’s sudden dismissal," according to reports on Monday.
New details emerged about what led to the Pentagon chief's abrupt firing of Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George earlier this month, as Hegseth has clashed with Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, The Wall Street Journal reported.
"Hegseth dismissed George in a terse phone call April 2, while Driscoll was on vacation with his family in North Carolina," according to The Journal. "Neither Army leader was given any explanation or advance notice, according to people with knowledge of the incident. The phone call, which George received during a meeting at the Pentagon, lasted less than a minute, those people said."
Hegseth's sudden move was reportedly tied to paranoia that George was "disloyal," The Daily Beast reported.
It's since raised eyebrows among those in the Trump administration and allies close to the president for his quick personnel decisions as the U.S.-Israel war against Iran rages on.
"White House officials said Hegseth has the confidence of the president, who is pleased with the job he is doing running the Pentagon," The Journal reported.
"But the unusually public nature of the spat, along with the firing of a highly respected general during a war, has triggered fresh criticism within the Pentagon and in some Trump circles of Hegseth’s leadership," according to The Journal. "It has prompted questions about whether he allows personal vendettas to drive some decisions in a time of unprecedented military commitments around the world."