Hegseth wastes his time on things 'well below his pay grade' as purge of dissenting Pentagon officials continues, report [View all]
Source: The Independent
Wednesday 18 February 2026 22:47 EST
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is spending his time on issues “well below his pay grade,” an analyst recently told The Atlantic, after the apparent ousting of yet another military official.
Hegseth recently ordered the removal of Col. Dave Butler, a longtime public affairs official for the U.S. Army, according to multiple news outlets, including The Atlantic and The Washington Post. Butler worked in several roles, including as a spokesperson for Gen. Mark Milley, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Over the last year, it appears Hegseth has fired several top military officials because of perceived disloyalty or ties to perceived political enemies, according to The Atlantic. Now, after this latest incident, the outlet reports Hegseth has started reaching even lower in the ranks.
“The secretary of defense is spending his time doing things that those well below his pay grade should be doing. And he is not doing the things that only the secretary of defense can do,” Kori Schake, the director of foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, told The Atlantic.
Read more: https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/hegseth-pentagon-colonel-dave-butler-ousted-b2923297.html
Full headline: Hegseth wastes his time on things ‘well below his pay grade’ as purge of dissenting Pentagon officials continues, report says
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