US President Donald Trump fired the country’s senior military officer as part of an extraordinary Friday night purge at the Pentagon that injected politics into the selection of the nation’s top military leaders.
Gen Charles Q Brown Jr, a four-star fighter pilot known as CQ who became only the second African American to hold the chairman’s job, is to be replaced by a retired three-star Air Force general, Dan Caine, who endeared himself to the President when they met in Iraq six years ago. Six Pentagon officials were fired, including Adm Lisa Franchetti, the first woman to lead the Navy; Gen James Slife, the vice chief of the Air Force; and the top lawyers for the Army, Navy and Air Force.
The decision to fire Brown, which Trump announced in a message on Truth Social, reflects the President’s insistence that the military’s leadership is too mired in diversity issues, has lost sight of its role as a combat force to defend the country and is out of step with his “America first” movement.
Joint Chiefs chairs traditionally remain in place as administrations change, regardless of the President’s political party. In a statement, defense secretary Pete Hegseth thanked Franchetti and Slife “for their service and dedication to our country” and requested nominations for their replacements. Hegseth did not say why he was firing the judge advocates general.
Hegseth has previously said that Brown should be fired because of his “woke” focus on diversity, equity and inclusion programs in the military. “First of all, you’ve got to fire the chairman of the Joint Chiefs,” Hegseth said in an appearance on the “Shawn Ryan Show” in November. He added that any general involved with DEI efforts should be fired.
President Trump did not say in his post why he was firing Brown. “He is a fine gentleman and an outstanding leader, and I wish a great future for him and his family,” the president wrote.nyt