- President Trump fired the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Friday night.
- His public removal coincided with the defense secretary’s firing of five other top officers.
The White House ousted the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., which was followed by a string of firings in the Pentagon’s most senior ranks that alarmed lawmakers.
In a press release posted Friday night, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also removed the chief of naval operations and the Air Force vice chief of staff, Adm. Lisa Franchetti and Gen. James Slife, respectively, as well as the top military lawyers for the Army, Navy and Air Force.
The removals of confirmed leaders deepen the turmoil at the Pentagon as it faces deep cuts to its civilian workforce and budget shifts that Trump officials say are to align with the new administration’s priorities.
In his Truth Social announcement, Trump did not state his reasons for removing the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff role, who’s the president’s top military advisor, and move to replace him with a retired general.
Brown is a fighter pilot, and just the second African American to hold the chairman position. Trump said he would nominated in his place retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan Caine.
Francetti was the first woman to lead the Navy, and the first-ever female military leader to be part of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Prior to his confirmation, Hegseth had called for the removal of Brown and Franchetti.
She is the most recent female leader to be sacked. Shortly after taking office, Trump officials relieved Coast Guard leader Adm. Linda F. Fagan, the first woman to lead a branch of the US armed forces.
Hegseth’s press release also asked for nominations for the Judge Advocates General for the Army, Navy and Air Force, positions responsible for deciding if orders military commanders receive are lawful.
“Under President Trump, we are putting in place new leadership that will focus our military on its core mission of deterring, fighting and winning wars,” the press release read.
