Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), whose vote proved pivotal in confirming Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense earlier this year, says he now regrets the decision, sharply criticizing Hegseth’s performance and calling him “out of his depth.” Speaking with CNN’s Jake Tapper on The Lead, Tillis delivered a blunt assessment of Hegseth’s tenure at the Pentagon, citing recent missteps and a broader lack of managerial competence. “With the passing of time, I think it’s clear he’s out of his depth as a manager of a large, complex organization,” Tillis said. Asked specifically about the so-called Signalgate controversy — in which Hegseth temporarily suspended secure communications between certain NATO-aligned commands — Tillis dismissed the episode as symptomatic of a larger problem. “That’s just one issue,” he told Tapper. “The whole idea of pausing Ukraine defensive arms — that’s amateurish. That’s from somebody who doesn’t understand large organization dynamics.” Tillis added that, at the time of the confirmation vote in January, he believed Hegseth deserved a chance, but now questions whether the Senate Armed Services Committee “was a little too generous” in its assessment of Hegseth’s qualifications to lead “the world’s largest, most complex, and arguably most consequential organization.” Reports at the time of the nomination indicated that Tillis faced intense pressure from President Trump and key MAGA figures to support Hegseth, a former Fox News host and Trump ally. Some threatened to back a primary challenger against Tillis if he opposed the pick. But that leverage has faded. Tillis announced earlier this year that he will not seek reelection in 2026 — a decision that has freed him to speak more openly, particularly after he opposed Trump’s “Big Beautiful” infrastructure and defense funding package. “I’m here to call balls and strikes,” Tillis said, reiterating that he intends to serve as an independent voice for the remainder of his term. Asked directly whether he would vote to confirm Hegseth again, knowing what he knows now, Tillis did not hesitate: “Based on the information I have today? No,” he said. “His probationary period hasn’t been very positive.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)