Rep. Don Beyer, a member of the U.S. Congress representing Virginia’s 8th district since 2015, conveyed a series of messages on April 21, 2025, urging for significant changes in leadership within the Department of Defense. Beyer expressed strong concerns regarding the current Secretary of Defense’s capacity to fulfill his duties effectively.
In a tweet posted at 20:14 UTC, Beyer declared, “Hegseth must resign as Secretary of Defense immediately. If he refuses, President Trump must remove him without delay. Every day he remains in office is a threat to American national security.” This statement emerged following reports on Hegseth’s performance by journalist Jeffrey Goldberg.
Shortly thereafter, Beyer criticized Hegseth’s ability in a subsequent tweet, noting “The Secretary has not shown the discretion nor the sound judgement needed to manage his communications or his front office.” Beyer quoted Hegseth’s own previous statements regarding appropriate conduct for security professionals.
In a further comment made at the same time, Beyer highlighted the Secretary of Defense’s ongoing issues with protocol adherence. He tweeted, “It’s a pattern of flagrant disregard for the rules and responsibilities entrusted to his office. Such repeated lapses in judgement not only disprove Hegseth’s claims of ‘100% operations security,’ but also actively put our servicemembers at home and abroad in harm’s way.”
Don Beyer, 72, born in Trieste, currently resides in Alexandria and is a graduate of Williams College. He succeeded Jim Moran in Congress in 2015 and has been an active political figure since then.
