\n When GOP Sen. Mitch McConnell voted against Pete Hegseth for defense secretary last year, he bypassed the big-ticket controversies over Hegseth\u2019s personal life and instead focused on his lack of experience.\n <\/p>\n
\n The former Republican Senate leader cast the job leading the Pentagon as a \u201cdaily test with staggering consequences for the security of the American people and our global interests.\u201d He said Hegseth had \u201cfailed, as yet, to demonstrate that he will pass this test<\/a>.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n Those words loom increasingly large over Hegseth\u2019s rocky tenure. A growing series of controversies have tested Republicans\u2019 willingness to stand by him and may leave them wondering what\u2019s next.\n <\/p>\n \n And it increasingly seems that Hegseth could be a political problem for the Trump administration, too.\n <\/p>\n \n The big news recently was another shakeup in the Pentagon \u2014 this time the resignation of Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, which focused attention on Hegseth\u2019s leadership and culture war fixation.<\/a> That even led a couple of prominent retiring Republicans to call for Hegseth\u2019s job.\n <\/p>\n \n Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who was a crucial vote to confirm the defense secretary last year, said he had \u201cnever witnessed more inept management of the brave men and women who serve our country.\u201d He also said Hegseth was \u201cintimidated by competence.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska agreed with Tillis, saying in an interview on CNN\u2019s \u201cAC360\u201d<\/a> on Wednesday night that Hegseth had \u201cnot been a very good leader in many ways.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n Other Republicans didn\u2019t call for Hegseth\u2019s exit but did raise concerns about what\u2019s happening at the Pentagon<\/a>.\n <\/p>\n \n House Armed Services Chairman Mike Rogers said he was \u201ctired of all the churn\u201d at the Defense Department and added, \u201cI want to see some stability over there.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n And House Defense Appropriations Chairman Ken Calvert bemoaned \u201ca number of disruptions in the department\u201d and suggested they need to stop.\n <\/p>\n \n While the GOP backlash over Driscoll\u2019s departure has yet to expand, it\u2019s merely the latest example of Republicans raising concerns about Hegseth.\n <\/p>\n \n And those concerns have often come from high places, including chairmen of both the Senate and House Armed Services Committees and other committees, the former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and several senators who voted to confirm Hegseth:\n <\/p>\n Just weeks into Hegseth\u2019s tenure, Senate Armed Services Chairman Roger Wicker decried Hegseth\u2019s comments about concessions Ukraine would have to make as a \u201crookie mistake.\u201d Hegseth backed off the comments.<\/p>\n Wicker has also said it was inappropriate for Hegseth to try and discipline Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona for participating in a video telling service members to disobey illegal orders.<\/p>\n Ex-House Intelligence Chairman Mike Turner has questioned the administration\u2019s boat strikes killing alleged drug traffickers without due process and raised concerns about the information the Pentagon is sharing about the Iran war.<\/p>\n Sen. Rand Paul, who chairs the homeland security committee, has said Hegseth\u2019s handling of questions about the boat strikes shows he\u2019s either \u201clying to us \u2026 or he\u2019s incompetent.\u201d<\/p>\n Other GOP senators have recently raised concerns about the Pentagon excluding Democrats from briefings, including classified ones. \u201cThe Democrat members need to be brought up to speed,\u201d\u202fSen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota said last month.<\/p>\n \n That\u2019s a lot. And it doesn\u2019t even include Hegseth\u2019s sharing of highly sensitive information about impending military strikes on the unclassified app, Signal. An inspector general\u2019s report last year found that Hegseth could have jeopardized both the mission in Yemen and risked harm to US troops<\/a>.\n <\/p>\n \n The Pentagon, for its part, has defended his leadership in previous comments to CNN as ushering in a new era for the department at the president\u2019s direction.\n <\/p>\n \n But it seems the drip-drip-drip of controversy has registered with the American people, too.\n <\/p>\n \n Polls in recent months from Quinnipiac University<\/a> and Marquette Law School<\/a> show Hegseth about 20 points underwater. Registered voters disapproved of him 56%-34% in the former, and Americans viewed him unfavorably 46%-27% in the latter.\n <\/p>\n \n Both polls suggest he\u2019s one of the most unpopular Trump Cabinet members \u2013 and possibly the most unpopular.\n <\/p>\n