Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly removed the names of at least six Army officers from a promotion list that would have elevated them to two-star generals, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke to The Hill on condition of anonymity.
The latest move comes just days after Hegseth blocked four other Army officers from advancing to the one-star rank.
Some of those officers reportedly had connections to former Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, whom Hegseth ousted in early April, and Gen. Chris Donahue, the former commander of U.S. Army Europe and Africa who retired earlier this summer.
Hegseth’s office did not immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment.
Earlier this year, the Pentagon chief also removed four Army officers — two women and two Black men — from a separate one-star promotion list. That decision reportedly frustrated former Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and other senior officials.
Driscoll submitted his resignation to the White House on Monday and is preparing to leave the Trump administration following a months-long power struggle with Hegseth. His departure has been viewed as another indication of Hegseth’s effort to assert greater control over the Army.
Hegseth and his allies have maintained that the Defense Department does not consider an officer’s race or gender when evaluating promotions. The secretary has also stopped promotions involving officers in the Navy and Air Force.
Former military leaders have criticized those decisions, describing them as unnecessary and potentially damaging to the armed services.
Military promotion boards recommend officers for advancement, but their selections require the Defense secretary’s approval. The president also possesses the authority to remove officers’ names from promotion lists.
Hegseth defended that authority during testimony before Congress in April.
Every officer serves at the “pleasure of the president,” Hegseth said, adding that he would make removal decisions when necessary to ensure the military has the appropriate leadership.
The blocked promotions have raised concerns among Democrats and some Republicans on Capitol Hill.
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, criticized Hegseth in July for dismissing more than two dozen senior military officers and preventing other officers from receiving promotions.
“The United States military is one of the greatest meritocracies in the free world,” Collins said. “We need to make sure that it stays that way.”
Other Republicans have defended Hegseth’s actions.
Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Ga., a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said Tuesday that he understood there were concerns about the officers being political.
“We serve at the goodwill of the president,” McCormick told The Hill.
NBC News reported that several officers nominated for two-star promotions were logisticians responsible for managing supplies and maintenance, including fuel, food and equipment for troops.
The New York Times reported that Hegseth targeted seven officers, including two Black officers and two women.
Democratic Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Brian Schatz of Hawaii requested an independent Pentagon inspector general investigation in July. They accused Hegseth of potentially allowing personal views about race and gender to interfere with the military’s competitive, merit-based promotion system.
