Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended President Trump’s recent firing of Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, asserting he was “not the right man for the moment.” Hegseth argued that such dismissals aren’t unprecedented, citing past presidents. However, Senator Jack Reed criticized the firings as unjustified, suggesting they aimed to make the Defense Department beholden to the president. Reed found the ousting of military lawyers alarming and indicative of potential legal violations. Hegseth responded by emphasizing the need for “fresh blood” in military legal roles and defended Trump’s approach to Ukraine, contrasting with Reed’s concerns about Trump’s dealings with Russia.
On Sunday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended President Trump’s decision to dismiss the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the country’s principal military officer, asserting that he was “not the right man for the moment.”
The president removed Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., the chairman, on Friday and nominated a retired three-star general to take his place. Following this announcement, Mr. Hegseth also dismissed the chief of naval operations and top military attorneys from the Defense Department.
While appearing on “Fox News Sunday,” Mr. Hegseth noted that “nothing about this is unprecedented,” emphasizing that past presidents, from Franklin D. Roosevelt to Barack Obama, have removed officers. Although a chairman of the Joint Chiefs has never been outright fired, the George W. Bush administration did not renew the term of Gen. Peter Pace in 2007 when the position had two-year terms, citing Congressional opposition.
“This reflects the president’s desire to have the right people around him to implement the national security strategy we intend to pursue,” Mr. Hegseth stated.
However, Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the leading Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, criticized the series of firings as “completely unjustified.”
On ABC News’s “This Week,” Mr. Reed expressed that the administration’s goal was to make the Defense Department answerable to the president. “They want everyone there to comply with orders, irrespective of the law,” he remarked.
He highlighted that the dismissal of the lawyers was alarming and led some capable leaders to reconsider their positions within the military.
“If you intend to violate the law, the first action you take is to eliminate the lawyers,” Mr. Reed commented.
Mr. Hegseth dismissed this critique, referencing the historical practice of senior military lawyers being selected by their peers. However, he expressed his intention for “fresh blood” and a broader candidate pool to find the most qualified military attorneys to lead each branch of the armed services.
“Ultimately, we want attorneys who provide sound constitutional counsel and do not serve as obstacles,” Mr. Hegseth emphasized.
He was also pressed about the administration’s strategy concerning the war in Ukraine and President Trump’s comments regarding Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
He commended Mr. Trump for steering the Kremlin towards peace negotiations and defended the bilateral discussions between Russia and the U.S. Critics, including Democrats, Europeans, and Ukrainians, have condemned these talks for excluding Ukraine.
“Standing here and categorizing as ‘good’ or ‘bad,’ ‘dictator’ or ‘not a dictator,’ ‘invaded’ or ‘did not invade’ — it’s not constructive,” Mr. Hegseth remarked. “It does not lead to productive outcomes.”
In his interview, Mr. Reed asserted that Mr. Trump was effectively “surrendering to the Russians.”
“This is not a statesman or a diplomat,” Mr. Reed stated. “This is merely someone who admires Putin, does not support the Ukrainian struggle, and is committed to aligning with an autocrat.”