Members of President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team are reportedly compiling a list of military officers to potentially be dismissed, possibly including the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in what could be an unprecedented shakeup at the Pentagon, according to two sources. This planning, still in the early stages following Trump’s Nov. 5 election win, could shift as the new administration takes shape, said the sources, who requested anonymity to speak freely.
One source raised doubts about the feasibility of a large-scale purge at the Pentagon and noted that it is unclear if Trump himself would endorse the plan. However, Trump has previously criticized defense leaders who have opposed him and spoken about firing “woke” generals and those involved in the troubled 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal.
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The Trump campaign did not immediately comment. According to the second source, the incoming administration may focus on officers linked to Mark Milley, Trump’s former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Milley, who recently referred to Trump as “fascist to the core” in Bob Woodward’s book ‘War’, has been targeted by Trump’s allies for alleged disloyalty. “Every single person that was elevated and appointed by Milley will be gone,” the source said, adding, “There’s a very detailed list of everybody that was affiliated with Milley. And they will all be gone.”
The Joint Chiefs of Staff represent the highest-ranking officers across branches of the U.S. military, including the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, National Guard, and Space Force. News of possible dismissals comes a day after Trump selected Pete Hegseth, a Fox News commentator and veteran, as his defense secretary. Hegseth, who has signaled support for major changes at the Pentagon, wrote in his 2024 book, ‘The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free’, “The next president of the United States needs to radically overhaul Pentagon senior leadership to make us ready to defend our nation and defeat our enemies. Lots of people need to be fired.”
It remains unclear if Hegseth’s limited management experience may affect his Senate confirmation or if a more traditional candidate would carry out such extensive dismissals.
Hegseth has also criticized Milley’s successor, Air Force General C.Q. Brown, questioning whether he was appointed due to his race. “Was it because of his skin color? Or his skill? We’ll never know, but always doubt – which on its face seems unfair to CQ. But since he has made the race card one of his biggest calling cards, it doesn’t really much matter,” he wrote.
According to the first source familiar with the transition planning, Brown is likely to be among the many officers slated for dismissal. “The chiefs of the Joint Chiefs and all the vice chiefs will be fired immediately,” the source stated, though they noted this was still early planning.
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Some current and former U.S. officials have downplayed the likelihood of such a sweeping overhaul, saying it would be disruptive and unnecessary given ongoing global conflicts, particularly in Ukraine and the Middle East.
The first source also pointed out the bureaucratic challenges of firing and replacing numerous senior U.S. military leaders, hinting that this planning could be more about bluster than actual intent. However, the second source suggested that Trump’s team views the Joint Chiefs as overly bureaucratic and believes a reduction in staff could benefit the military. “These people are not irreplaceable. They are very replaceable. And then the other thing too is there is no shortage of people that will step up,” the source said.
“In World War Two, we were very rapidly appointing people in their 30s or people competent to be generals. And you know what? We won the war.”
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