Houlahan pressed Hegseth on why he fired the Army’s top uniformed officer, Gen. Randy George.
Hegseth refused to answer and didn’t deny the Democratic representative’s suggestion that he fired George via text.
Hegseth said he wouldn’t talk about the removal out of respect.
“However, I will note it’s very difficult to change the culture of a department that’s been destroyed by the wrong perspectives,” Hegseth said.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth appears before a House Committee on Armed Services business meeting on the Department of Defense Fiscal Year 2027, on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey Jr.)
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth appears before a House Committee on Armed Services business meeting on the Department of Defense Fiscal Year 2027, on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey Jr.)
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“So, Gen. George destroyed a culture?” Houlahan asked.
Hegseth said the department “needed new leadership.”
The congresswoman responded: “You have no way of explaining why you fired one of the most decorated and remarkable men who’s ever served this nation?”
“We needed new leadership,” Hegseth said. “That’s my answer.”
“And so your answer is a very immature way of responding to my request,” Houlahan said.
