President Donald Trump Says 'Tell the General I’m Sorry' While Blaming Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for Controversial Firing of Army Chief of Staff

President Donald Trump reportedly apologized to Iowa Republican Sen. Joni Ernst for the sudden April firing of Army Chief of Staff General Randy George, shifting the responsibility entirely onto Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

According to The New York Times, Trump told Ernst during a private phone call, “Tell the general I’m sorry,” confirming he had no direct role in the controversial decision.

Hegseth terminated the four-star general after George refused a directive to strip two Black and two female officers from an official promotion list.

Days before his firing, George was pressured by Hegseth's senior aide to drop an investigation into an unauthorized military helicopter flyby over the Tennessee estate of staunch Trump supporter Kid Rock. George insisted on following standard safety protocol, defying the Pentagon leadership.

Ernst previously believed she had secured Hegseth's commitment to let George finish his full term, which was slated to run until mid-2027.

Hegseth dismissed George during a brief, 15-second phone call.

Major General Christopher LaNeve — Hegseth's former senior military aide — was appointed as the acting Army Chief of Staff.

Hegseth, a former Fox News weekend co-host, has executed a sweeping and highly controversial overhaul of the U.S. military leadership, forcing out at least a half-dozen of the army’s most combat-hardened commanders.

This aggressive campaign — aimed at eliminating perceived "woke" ideology and reducing Pentagon bureaucracy — has faced severe backlash from lawmakers and senior military officials, who warn that it is hollowing out experienced leadership during active global conflicts.

James Mingus, Army Vice Chief of Staff, was sidelined and removed by Hegseth in late 2025, a year before his term was expected to end.

Hegseth sought to quickly replace him with LaNeve. When Congress temporarily blocked LaNeve's promotion, Hegseth falsely accused General George of conspiring with lawmakers to stall the appointment.

Major General William Green Jr., Chief of Chaplains, and General David Hodne, both four-star leaders, were abruptly dismissed.

General Hodne was removed from the Army’s Transformation and Training Command after just eight months. This command is directly responsible for training Patriot anti-missile crews — the primary defense against Middle Eastern missile threats — leaving the critical position entirely vacant.

The embattled Defense Secretary also launched a major crackdown on Stars and Stripes, firing top journalists and prompting the publisher to resign amid an ongoing battle over the military newspaper's editorial independence.

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is expected to step down by the end of 2026 — and potentially as early as Labor Day — following months of severe friction and an ongoing power struggle with Hegseth.

Reports indicate that Driscoll, a close ally of Vice President J.D. Vance, has been embroiled in an internal battle for influence against Hegseth, resulting in a fractured leadership structure at the highest levels of the Pentagon.

Driscoll and his family have already relocated from official military housing in Virginia to North Carolina ahead of his anticipated exit.

“[Hegseth] is very concerned about being fired, and he knows that Driscoll is one of the top contenders, or a natural contender, to succeed him,” a source close to the administration told the New York Post in April.