Senators gave a cool reception to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's military leadership cuts after he said the Pentagon had fired 10% of its generals and admirals and reduced the overall number of general officer positions by an additional 10%. The response followed his State of the Force address Wednesday at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia.

Hegseth described the dismissals and position cuts as a “20% reduction across the board,” distinguishing between serving officers and the posts reserved for senior military leaders. “The media calls that a purge. I call it accountability and long overdue…and frankly, the bare minimum,” he said.