I imagine the smart move is to keep him there for a few more weeks to eat the sin and diatract dems and then axe him when you need to regain the narrative.

If Republicans are going to eat one of their own, it has to be now, while they are still in charge of the Senate and can approve the next one. If they wait too long, the new Congress takes over, and now the President needs to ask Chuck's permission to appoint anyone.

We may not be able to reverse the damage quickly, but Hegseth has to be stopped. The damage he is doing to our national security is ongoing.

The senior official’s account of the application of new criteria was confirmed by two of the officers who were selected for promotion by a rigorous merit-based process to a flag or general officer rank, but then withheld by Hegseth’s office. Those officers were told by Pentagon officials over the phone their promotions were being withheld, but they were not given a chance to respond, they said. For most, not getting promoted will end their military careers. If these officers do not promote to the rank they were selected for within 18 months, most will be forced to retire. The result has been a precipitous loss of experience and talent at the top ranks, the official said.

Emphasis mine. He's not just refusing to promote people, the refusal if forcing them out of the military. Losing all these qualified officers is costing us vast amounts of experience. Like Trump, Hegseth may not be an enemy operative, but it's hard to imagine how he could do more damage if he was. This man is a national security disaster and he needs to go now.