WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday defended his decisions to fire or sideline nearly 30 generals and admirals over the past year with little explanation by falsely comparing his record to that of President Barack Obama. “I would also note that under Barack Obama, 197 general officers were removed,” Hegseth said in testimony before the House Armed Services Committee. “So this is not something specific to this administration.” The number Hegseth gave has no basis in fact. It originated with an unsigned 2018 editorial in Investor’s Business Daily, which cites right-wing news site “Breitbart.com’s Facebook page” as its source. Hegseth’s actions to fire senior military leaders are without precedent in recent decades and have come with little explanation. On Wednesday, lawmakers pressed him to justify his decisions, including his move this month to remove Gen. Randy A. George, the Army chief of staff. “Secretary Hegseth, I respect you,” said Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga.…