Washington: President Donald Trump carried out an unprecedented purge at the Pentagon on Friday evening, dismissing the country’s top general and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth firing five senior US military officials.
Trump removed General Charles “CQ” Brown Jr., the four-star officer serving as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest-ranking military official in the country and a key advisor to the president and secretary of defense. Trump nominated Air Force Lieutenant General Dan “Razin” Caine to take his place. In addition, Hegseth dismissed the chief of naval operations and the second-in-command of the Air Force, thanking them for their service and opening nominations for replacements. He also announced the removal of the judge advocates general for each branch – Army, Navy, and Air Force – who oversee military justice.
These moves were described as sweeping and extraordinary, shocking the Pentagon, and disrupting the tradition of the joint chiefs chair remaining in place when a new administration takes over.
This comes as part of a broader shake-up in the Department of Defense, with acting undersecretary Darin Selnick stating that 5,400 probationary employees would be laid off next week. He also indicated that the department’s civilian workforce would eventually be reduced by 5 to 8 percent to align with the president’s priorities.
Trump praised Lieutenant General Caine on TruthSocial, calling him “an accomplished pilot, national security expert, successful entrepreneur, and ‘warfighter’ with significant interagency and special operations experience” who had been “passed over for promotion by Sleepy Joe Biden.”
Hegseth also commended Caine, emphasizing that he “embodies the warfighter ethos and is exactly the leader we need to meet the moment.”
Brown, who was only the second Black man to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs, had faced criticism from Hegseth. The Defense Secretary had previously questioned whether Brown’s appointment was due to his race, making critical remarks about his support for diversity initiatives. In a book, Hegseth suggested that Brown’s promotion may have been based on race rather than merit, a claim that sparked controversy. He later added in a podcast that any general involved in “woke” diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives should be removed.
Since returning to office, Trump has made dismantling DEI programs a key focus and has initiated a broad removal of senior bureaucrats and programs.
Democratic congressman Jason Crow voiced concern over the purge of Pentagon officials, particularly the removal of the judge advocates general. He stated that these officers interpret laws for military commanders and determine what is lawful, suggesting that replacing them with loyalists could be dangerous.
Trump’s former aide, Anthony Scaramucci, went further, suggesting that firing the country’s top general could be a precursor to Trump attempting to defy the Constitution and remain in power beyond 2028, referencing the January 6, 2021, Capitol riots.
Rep. Adam Smith, the Democratic leader of the House Armed Services Committee, referred to the purge as a “Friday night massacre,” criticizing Trump’s decision and calling Brown a “true patriot” with a long history of service. Smith argued that Trump’s actions would weaken the military, harm national security, and play into the hands of adversaries like Vladimir Putin, further undermining democracy worldwide.