Trump Dismisses Top General Who Backed Black Lives Matter

U.S. President Donald Trump has fired a top general who expressed support for the Black Lives Matter movement. Read more on the decision and its political implications.

U.S. President Donald Trump has dismissed General Charles Brown, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and only the second Black officer to hold this position. In 2020, Brown publicly endorsed the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement.

Since taking office in January, Trump has eliminated several diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives established by the Biden administration throughout the federal government and military. Additionally, he issued an official directive recognizing only two genders—male and female—by the US government.

On Friday, Trump announced Brown’s dismissal on his Truth Social media platform and expressed gratitude to the general for his service.

Brown’s term was scheduled to conclude in September 2027. The New York Times has highlighted that “Joint Chiefs chairmen traditionally remain in place as administrations change.”

In a 2020 video message to the Air Force, Brown expressed his support for BLM protesters, sharing that he had experienced racial bias as a Black officer during his career.

Established in 2013, the Black Lives Matter movement gained national recognition following the police killings of Michael Brown and Eric Garner in 2014, as well as George Floyd’s death in 2020. Activists within the movement argue that racism is deeply embedded within U.S. police forces; however, critics assert that BLM incites violence and unrest.

During an appearance on the “Shawn Ryan Show” in November, current Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth remarked that “first of all, you have to dismiss the chairman of the Joint Chiefs.” In one of his books, he argued that Brown had frequently used race as a key issue.

In a statement released on Friday, Democratic Senator Jack Reed, the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, criticized Trump’s decision. He described it as dismissing “uniformed leaders either as a form of political loyalty test or due to reasons related to diversity and gender.”

Reed’s colleague, Democratic lawmaker Seth Moulton, also claimed in a post on X that Trump’s decision is the “epitome of politicizing our military” and described it as both “un-American and unpatriotic.”

In addition to Brown, the president dismissed five more Pentagon officials, among them Lisa Franchetti—the first woman to lead the US Navy.

Just a day following his inauguration, Trump removed Admiral Linda Fagan from her position as the first female Commandant of the Coast Guard.

Last month, the US president signed an executive order designed to eliminate what is referred to as “radical gender ideology” from the nation’s armed forces. This action effectively prohibited individuals diagnosed with gender dysphoria from serving in the military.

Earlier this month, while speaking to Pentagon staff, the US defense secretary described the phrase “diversity is our strength” as the “dumbest” in military history.

“In this department, everyone will be treated the same,” Hegseth declared, further stating that individuals will be evaluated based on their merit.