President Trump conducted a significant purge at the Pentagon, firing six senior military leaders, including Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., the first African American chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Gen. Brown’s dismissal reflects Trump’s view that military leadership is overly focused on diversity issues and not aligned with his “America First” agenda. He will be replaced by Dan Caine, a retired three-star Air Force general with ties to Trump. The firings drew criticism from various lawmakers, who expressed concerns over diminishing trust within the military due to politically motivated dismissals, as Trump aims to appoint loyalists.
President Trump dismissed the nation’s senior military official during an unexpected purge at the Pentagon on Friday night, intertwining politics with the process of choosing top military leaders.
General Charles Q. Brown Jr., a distinguished four-star fighter pilot known as C.Q., who made history as only the second African American chairman, will be succeeded by the relatively unknown retired three-star Air Force general, Dan Caine, who formed a rapport with the president during their meeting in Iraq six years ago.
In total, six officials from the Pentagon were let go, including Adm. Lisa Franchetti, marking her as the first woman to head the Navy; Gen. James Slife, the vice chief of the Air Force; and the chief legal officers for the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
The announcement to replace General Brown, shared by Mr. Trump on Truth Social, signals the president’s view that military leadership is overly fixated on diversity issues, has strayed from its primary role as a combat force, and does not align with his “America First” agenda.
Historically, chairmen of the Joint Chiefs maintain their positions during transitions between administrations, irrespective of political affiliations. However, current officials at the White House and Pentagon expressed the desire to appoint their own preferred leaders.
In a statement, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth acknowledged Admiral Franchetti and General Slife for their “service and dedication to our country” and called for nominations for their successors.
While he did not elaborate on the dismissals of the judge advocates general, Mr. Hegseth previously criticized military lawyers during his Senate confirmation hearing for imposing unnecessary legal constraints on soldiers in combat—prioritizing their own agendas over the needs of troops in the field.
Mr. Hegseth has asserted that General Brown should be removed due to his emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives within the military.
“First and foremost, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs needs to go,” Mr. Hegseth stated during his appearance on the “Shawn Ryan Show” in November, adding that any general associated with diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts should also be dismissed. “Your sole focus should be warfighting, and nothing else,” he remarked. “That’s the only criterion that matters.”
On the first day of his tenure at the Pentagon, Mr. Hegseth stood alongside General Brown, appointed as chairman in October 2023, and expressed his eagerness to collaborate with him.
However, it became evident that General Brown was not fully embraced by Mr. Trump’s inner circle. Reports indicated that he had not been invited to crucial meetings with the president.
This marked a notable shift from 2020 when Mr. Trump nominated General Brown for the Air Force’s chief of staff, recognizing the historic nature of appointing the “first-ever African American military service chief,” and portraying him on social media as “a Patriot and Great Leader.”
General Brown had consistently informed aides that he would not resign. On Friday, he was in El Paso, overseeing the military’s latest operations related to Mr. Trump’s immigration policies.
Mr. Trump did not provide a reason in his announcement for General Brown’s firing. “He is a fine gentleman and an outstanding leader, and I wish a great future for him and his family,” the president remarked.
General Brown learned of his termination when Mr. Hegseth called him at his hotel in El Paso on Friday evening, according to a military official.
General Caine retired holding the rank of lieutenant general. According to regulation, anyone appointed as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff must have previously served as a combatant commander, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs, or top uniformed officer of one of the military branches, including the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Space Force.
It remains uncertain whether General Caine will require a congressional waiver; however, a congressional aide indicated that the president has some discretion in selecting candidates, and exceptions may be permitted for national security reasons.
Regardless of the need for a waiver, confirmation by the Senate will be necessary.
Traditionally, this position is considered to be one that, much like the military, transcends political administrations.
In his Truth Social message, Mr. Trump expressed his honor in nominating “Air Force Lieutenant General Dan ‘Razin’ Caine to be the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,” describing him as “an accomplished pilot, national security expert, successful entrepreneur, and a ‘warfighter’ with considerable interagency and special operations experience.”
Over the years, Mr. Trump has openly praised General Caine for informing him that the Islamic State could be defeated much more swiftly than his advisors had predicted. The narrative around this story, which remains unverified, has varied, with Mr. Trump claiming that General Caine said it could take a week in one instance and four weeks in another.
Mr. Trump has also stated that during their December 2018 meeting in Iraq, General Caine wore a “Make America Great Again” hat, contrary to military protocols which discourage active-duty troops from wearing political gear. General Caine has informed staff that he never wore a MAGA hat.
In his Friday post on Truth Social, Mr. Trump once again highlighted General Caine’s expertise in counterterrorism.
“During my first term, Razin played a crucial role in the total destruction of the ISIS caliphate,” Mr. Trump stated. “This was accomplished in record time, mere weeks. Many so-called military ‘geniuses’ claimed it would take years to dismantle ISIS. General Caine, however, asserted it could be done quickly, and he succeeded.”
By December 2018, when Mr. Trump visited General Caine in Iraq, other senior officials were already suggesting that the last remnants of the Islamic State would be vanquished in just months, even though reconstruction of Iraq was expected to take years.
Since 2019, Mr. Trump has been fixated on the role of Joint Chiefs chairman, initially appointing Gen. Mark A. Milley as General Brown’s predecessor, a decision he later regretted.
Mr. Trump has expressed particular dissatisfaction with General Milley’s conversations with his Chinese counterpart during the final days of his presidency, condemning the actions on social media as “so egregious that, in earlier times, punishments would have included DEATH!”
Now, having a loyalist as his chief military advisor has become crucial for Mr. Trump, according to aides.
The dismissal of General Brown occurs amidst increasing upheaval at the Pentagon, the largest federal agency, encompassing three million employees, including 1.3 million service members. Mr. Hegseth has instructed senior military and Defense Department personnel to prepare plans to reduce the military budget by 8% annually over the forthcoming five years, officials disclosed on Wednesday.
In a memo released Tuesday, Mr. Hegseth requested various military branches and Pentagon divisions to submit budget reduction proposals by the following Monday, outlining 17 exceptions to the proposed cuts, such as operations at the southern border.
The decision to replace General Brown with General Caine was reached over the past fortnight and remained confidential among a small cadre of senior administration officials, as reported by two knowledgeable sources.
While Mr. Hegseth was in Europe last week, General Caine had discussions with Vice President JD Vance and subsequently with Mr. Trump. Reports indicate that Mr. Hegseth and General Caine communicated several times, with Mr. Hegseth advocating for General Caine’s selection, according to one source.
Although rumors regarding lists of senior generals and admirals slated for dismissal have circulated in Capitol Hill for weeks, administration leaders disclosed that most senior House and Senate members were not consulted prior to Mr. Trump’s decision to relieve General Brown of his command.
In a statement released Friday evening, Senator Roger Wicker, a Mississippi Republican and chair of the Armed Services Committee—which oversees all military nominations—commended General Brown, but did not mention General Caine, who has yet to receive an official nomination.
“I appreciate Chairman Brown for his many years of honorable service to our nation,” Mr. Wicker stated. “I trust that Secretary Hegseth and President Trump will choose a qualified and capable successor for the pivotal role of chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.”
Senator Jack Reed, the leading Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, criticized the action sharply. “Removing military leaders as a form of political loyalty test or based on diversity and gender considerations unrelated to performance undermines the trust and professionalism our service members need to fulfill their missions,” he mentioned in a statement.
Even some of Mr. Hegseth’s most ardent supporters in Congress have cautioned that a shake-up among high-ranking officials at the Pentagon could diminish morale.
“There has been substantial discussion regarding the removal of ‘woke’ generals,” Senator Kevin Cramer, a Republican from North Dakota, stated last month during Mr. Hegseth’s Senate confirmation hearing. “I would suggest allowing these men and women to demonstrate their capabilities under new leadership.”
Recent Joint Chiefs chairmen have typically served a four-year term, with a president appointing a successor several months before the incumbent chairman’s departure. During his first term, Mr. Trump indicated in late 2018 that General Milley would likely be his choice to succeed Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr. almost a year ahead of General Dunford stepping down.
Since General Caine is retired, he would have to be recalled to active duty for the Senate to conduct hearings on his nomination. Only one retired officer, Gen. Maxwell D. Taylor, has previously been called back from retirement to fulfill the role of chairman: by President John F. Kennedy in 1962.
It remains uncertain whether General Brown will continue in his role until his successor is confirmed by the Senate, or if Adm. Christopher W. Grady, the vice chairman, will step in as acting chairman.
Mr. Trump has now fired four four-star officers within a month. Within a day of his second inauguration, he dismissed Adm. Linda L. Fagan, the first female officer to serve as commandant of the Coast Guard.
John Ismay contributed reporting.