Secretary of War Pete Hegseth declined to specify to lawmakers why he demanded the retirement of General Randy George, the now-former Army chief of staff, but indicated ties to the previous administration as a broad reason for much of the turnover he has enforced.

Hegseth, who appeared in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday, was asked about George’s dismissal multiple times but declined to provide a detailed answer about what prompted the decision, which was announced in early April.