Trump Fires Top US General CQ Brown in Pentagon Shake-Up

President Donald Trump has dismissed General CQ Brown in a major reshuffle at the Pentagon, signaling potential policy shifts.

U.S. President Donald Trump has dismissed CQ Brown, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the nation’s highest-ranking officer, in a significant overhaul of senior military leadership.

Trump posted on social media, “I want to express my gratitude to General Charles ‘CQ’ Brown for his more than 40 years of service to our country.” He mentioned that five other high-ranking officers were also being replaced.

General Brown was the second Black officer to occupy this position, which involves advising both the President and the Secretary of Defense on national security matters.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth previously stated that General Brown should be dismissed due to his “woke” emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs within the military.

On Friday, Hegseth later announced the dismissal of two more senior officers: Adm Lisa Franchetti, Chief of Naval Operations, and Gen Jim Slife, Vice Chief of Staff for the Air Force.

All three senior officers who were removed on Friday had been appointed by Joe Biden, Trump’s predecessor.

In a statement, Hegseth mentioned that: “Under President Trump’s leadership, we are implementing new management to ensure our military is concentrated on its primary objectives—deterring threats, engaging in combat effectively, and achieving victory.”

Trump announced his intention to nominate Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan Caine, a seasoned F-16 pilot who recently served as the CIA’s associate director for military affairs, as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

At the Conservative Political Action Conference last year, Trump reminisced about his initial encounter with General Caine in Iraq. He remarked to the audience, “He looked better than any movie actor you could find.”

In that speech, he commended the US military but remarked that its leadership was “woke at the top.”

On Friday, Gen Brown visited troops at the southern US border approximately two hours prior to Trump’s announcement about his departure.

This week, rumors circulated that the president would dismiss the commander, who was originally scheduled to serve until 2027.

In 2020, General Brown garnered significant attention when he addressed issues of race in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death.

He shared a video message with the US Air Force, describing the pressures he experienced as one of the few Black men in his unit, including facing questions about his credentials.

In 2022, as the Air Force Chief of Staff, Gen Brown co-authored a memo outlining objectives to enhance diversity by increasing minority officer applicants and reducing the proportion of white candidates, according to the Air Force Times.

Colin Powell served as the first Black Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1989 to 1993.

One of Trump’s initial actions after taking office last month was the dismissal of the first female commandant of the Coast Guard, attributing it to an “excessive focus” on diversity.

In November, prior to his confirmation, Hegseth mentioned on a podcast that there were several issues within the military, including diversity initiatives. He suggested that these matters should be “course corrected” by the Trump administration.

Hegseth suggested that the first step Trump should take is to dismiss the chairman of the Joint Chiefs.

On Friday, the Pentagon additionally disclosed plans to reduce its budget and release 5,400 probationary employees in the upcoming week.

At the same time, a federal court in Maryland temporarily prevented Trump from enforcing bans on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.

District Judge Adam Abelson determined that Trump’s directives might infringe upon the free-speech rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.