In a historic reorganization of US military leadership, President Donald Trump dismissed Air Force General CQ Brown, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and dismissed five other admirals and generals on Friday.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that he would select former Lt. Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine to replace Brown, defying convention by bringing someone out of retirement for the first time to hold the position of top military leader.
According to the Pentagon, the president will also succeed the deputy chief of staff of the air force and the head of the US Navy, which was previously occupied by Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the first female leader of a military service. Additionally, he is dismissing the Army’s judge advocates general.
Trump’s decision starts a time of turmoil at the Pentagon, which was already preparing for a huge budget overhaul, a change in military deployments under Trump’s new America First foreign policy, and mass layoffs of civilian employees.
The uniformed troops of the US armed forces are supposed to be apolitical, implementing the goals of both Democratic and Republican administrations, even if the civilian leadership of the Pentagon shifts from one administration to the next.
It was anticipated that Brown, the second Black officer to hold the position of senior uniformed military counsel to the president, would finish his four-year term in September 2027.
Prior to the Senate confirming his successor, a U.S. official stated that Brown was relieved with immediate effect.
In November, Reuters was the first to announce that the incoming
Republican President Trump’s action was denounced by Democratic politicians.
According to Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, “firing uniformed leaders as a sort of political loyalty test, or for reasons relating to diversity and gender that have nothing to do with performance, erodes the trust and professionalism that our servicemembers require to achieve their missions.”
The firings were deemed “un-American, unpatriotic, and dangerous for our troops and our national security” by Democratic Representative Seth Moulton of Massachusetts. “This is what it means to politicize our military,” he declared.
“Woke” generals
Trump mentioned firing “woke” generals and those in charge of the problematic 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan during the previous year’s presidential campaign. The president did not provide an explanation for his choice to replace Brown on Friday.
For his more than 40 years of service to our nation, including his present position as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, I would like to express my gratitude to General Charles “CQ” Brown. Trump added, “I wish him and his family a great future. He is a fine gentleman and an outstanding leader.”
Prior to taking over the Pentagon with a broad agenda that includes ending diversity, fairness, and inclusion projects in the military, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had expressed doubts about Brown.
After George Floyd was killed in 2020, which triggered racial justice rallies around the country, Brown, a former fighter pilot with deployments in the Middle East and Asia, shared an emotive video of his experiences of discrimination in the military.
When Trump announced it, Brown was traveling for work. Images showing Brown meeting troops on the US border with Mexico, who were stationed to bolster Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration, were shared on Brown’s official X account just hours before Trump’s post.
“The defense of our country has traditionally depended heavily on border security. Brown wrote, “We will make sure our troops at the border have everything they need as we navigate unprecedented security challenges.”
A request for comment from a Brown representative was not immediately answered.
Women leaders were dismissed.
The United States Navy’s first female commander was Franchetti. It had come as a shock when then-President Joe Biden nominated her in 2023.
The nomination of Admiral Samuel Paparo, who was then in charge of the Pacific Navy, was generally anticipated by Pentagon officials. Rather, Paparo was elevated to head the Indo-Pacific Command of the US military.
Trump dismissed US Coast Guard Chief Admiral Linda Fagan on his first day in office. Its first female commanding officer had been her.
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