The killing of George Floyd has strained President Trump’s relationship with military leaders, leading to the firing of Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman. Brown was removed amid controversy over a reflective video he recorded on his experiences as an African American pilot, highlighting racism and social justice issues. Trump’s previous conflicts with his predecessor, Gen. Mark Milley, and Defense Secretary Mark Esper, also stemmed from the response to Floyd’s death and protests. The abrupt firings of Brown and other leaders have raised questions about their treatment and loyalty within a politically charged military environment.
For the second occasion, the murder of George Floyd by a police officer has led to a rift between President Trump and the United States military’s top officials.
In a surprising move, President Trump dismissed Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, during a Friday night shake-up at the Pentagon without providing a public explanation. In fact, the four-star fighter pilot, who has dedicated 40 years of service, was attending to one of the president’s major priorities at the border when he was let go.
However, sources close to Trump cite a video recorded by General Brown in the turbulent days following George Floyd’s death in May 2020, an event that ignited a widespread social justice movement. In the four-minute clip, General Brown shared his reflections as an African American pilot serving in the Air Force.
The murder of Mr. Floyd also severely damaged the relationship between Mr. Trump and General Brown’s predecessor, Gen. Mark A. Milley.
Following Mr. Floyd’s death, General Milley appeared alongside Mr. Trump in military fatigues for a photo opportunity as they walked across Lafayette Square near the White House after law enforcement forcibly cleared a peaceful protest. General Milley faced significant backlash for his participation, as many felt he allowed himself to be drawn into political affairs.
General Milley issued a public apology, stating, “I should not have been there.”
Mr. Trump was livid. “Why’d you do that?” he reportedly asked General Milley, as per Trump aides at the time.
Tensions had already arisen between the two over Mr. Trump’s inclination to invoke the Insurrection Act to send active-duty soldiers to control the protests, a strategy both General Milley and then Defense Secretary Mark Esper vehemently opposed.
From that point, Mr. Trump would never trust either individual again.
Later, the president would fire Mr. Esper via Twitter. Regarding General Milley, Mr. Trump would ultimately suggest he should face execution.
After Mr. Trump returned to power, the portraits of both men were taken down from the Pentagon walls.
It remains uncertain whether General Brown will be honored with a portrait recognizing his one year and four months of tenure as chairman of the Joint Chiefs. While Mr. Trump has not openly criticized General Brown, he seems to be looking to replace him with retired three-star Lt. Gen. Dan Caine, another fighter pilot.
Pete Hegseth, the new defense secretary under Mr. Trump, previously questioned if General Brown’s appointment as Joint Chiefs chairman was due to his race, suggesting on a podcast in November that he should be dismissed over military diversity initiatives.
In his book “The War on Warriors,” published in 2024, Mr. Hegseth commented on the general’s promotion: “Was it due to his skin color? Or his capabilities? We’ll never know, but we’ll always doubt — which seems inherently unfair to CQ. Yet since he has made race one of his defining issues, it doesn’t really matter.”
On June 4, 2020, General Brown captivated military personnel with a profound four-minute video titled “What I’m thinking about” released during his time as the commander of Pacific Air Forces.
Meanwhile, protests erupted in cities across the country in response to the killing of Mr. Floyd by Derek Chauvin, a white officer who pressed his knee against Mr. Floyd’s neck while he lay handcuffed and facedown.
In a later interview, General Brown revealed one of his sons had asked him: “What is Pacific Air Forces going to say?” As the leader of Pacific Air Forces, General Brown recognized that this question carried the weight of “Dad, what are you going to say?”
Set against a dim background, a serious General Brown, dressed in fatigues, addressed the camera: “As the commander of Pacific Air Forces, and a senior leader in our Air Force, and as an African American, many of you may be curious about my thoughts on the current events surrounding George Floyd’s tragic demise,” he began. “Here’s what I’m thinking.”
For four and a half minutes, General Brown articulated, in candid terms, his experiences as an African American fighter pilot.
“I’m filled with emotions, not just for George Floyd, but for the many African Americans who have suffered the same fate,” he stated, a tremor evident in his voice. “I’m reflecting on protests in my country, ‘tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, the equality expressed in our declaration of independence, in the Constitution, to which I have dedicated my adult life to support and defend.”
General Brown spoke of “living in two worlds, each with their own perspectives and views.” He shared what those worlds were like for him. He and his sister were the sole Black children in his elementary school and endeavored to blend in. At their high school, despite half of the students being Black, they still sought acceptance.
“I’m reflecting on my Air Force career, where I was frequently the only African American in my squadron or, as a senior officer, the sole African American in the room,” he shared.
At that time, roughly 43 percent of the 1.3 million active-duty personnel were people of color, yet nearly all those making significant decisions at the top were white males. A photograph taken in October of the prior year depicted Mr. Trump surrounded by his top four-star generals, a representation dominated by white faces contrasting an otherwise diverse military.
In his video, General Brown continued: “I’m reflecting on wearing the same flight suit, with the same wings on my chest as my peers, and then facing questions from other military members, ‘are you a pilot?’”
He spoke honestly about his personal experiences, detailing the other world he navigated as a Black individual. “I’m reflecting on being a captain at the Officer’s Club with my squadron and hearing from other African Americans that I wasn’t ‘Black enough’ because I spent more time with my squadron than with them.”
He recounted how most of his mentors couldn’t relate to his experiences as a Black man. He expressed his concern that airmen who hadn’t encountered similar challenges might “not see racism as a problem because it doesn’t happen to them, or whether they’re empathetic.”
General Brown concluded by discussing the burden he felt as the first African American nominated to be chief of the Air Force. Mr. Trump had selected him for that role based on Mr. Esper’s recommendation.
General Brown would later become the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under President Biden, confirmed by an 83-11 Senate vote. For the first time in history, the Pentagon was led by two Black men alongside Lloyd J. Austin III, Mr. Biden’s defense secretary.
However, according to a Trump adviser, there was no way back for General Brown in Mr. Trump’s opinion after the release of his video.
When Mr. Trump assumed office on January 20, General Brown insisted he would abide by the lawful orders of the president, echoing the sentiments of his predecessor, General Milley.
Regardless, he was terminated. Also dismissed were Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the first female Navy chief, and Gen. James Slife, the Air Force’s vice chief of staff, who had encouraged airmen to consider institutional racism following Mr. Floyd’s death.
“By their statements, the president and the secretary of defense have indicated that these leaders served the country well and faithfully executed the missions assigned by their political superiors,” remarked Peter Feaver, a political scientist at Duke University with extensive military studies. “The suddenness of the action raises many questions that remain unanswered.”