Trump goes on ‘unprecedented’ Pentagon firing spree: Report

President Donald Trump has made a dramatic shakeup of Pentagon leadership by firing the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force Gen. C.Q. Brown, and a number of other top military officers over the weekend. In an unprecedented move, Trump announced on social media that he was replacing Brown with retired Lt. Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine to fill the role of the military’s top officer.

This decision marks the first time a president has pulled a military officer out of retirement to head the Joint Chiefs. The move comes as part of a series of changes Trump has announced to top military brass in recent days, including plans to replace the U.S. Navy’s top officer, Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the first woman to lead one of the military branches. Additionally, Trump is removing the Air Force vice chief of staff, Gen. Jim Slife, and the judge advocates general of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.

Trump’s campaign heavily focused on the idea of removing “woke” generals from the top of the military, particularly those he believed were responsible for the U.S. exit from Afghanistan in 2021. His defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has been vocal about rooting out Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the military, raising questions about Brown’s appointment as the nation’s top military officer. Hegseth suggested that Brown’s race may have played a factor in his selection, questioning whether it was based on his skin color or skill.

The decision to move on from Franchetti also reverses a 2023 decision made by former President Joe Biden, who chose Franchetti over Adm. Samuel Paparo for the Navy’s top job. The recent shakeup at the Pentagon has caused upheaval within the Defense Department, which was already preparing for mass cuts to its civilian staff.

The firings have been met with criticism from the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. Jack Reed, who called the dismissals “political.” Reed expressed concerns that firing uniformed leaders as a political loyalty test or for reasons unrelated to performance could erode trust and professionalism within the military.

The White House has yet to respond to requests for comment on the matter. The changes in Pentagon leadership reflect Trump’s efforts to realign military leadership with his policy vision, emphasizing a focus on performance over other factors. It remains to be seen how these changes will impact the military’s operations moving forward.