Trump ousts top U.S. Gen. Charles "CQ" Brown and other leaders
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Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair General Charles Brown in Congress. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
President Trump fired Joint Chiefs of Staff chair Gen. Charles "CQ" Brown, Jr. and other top military leaders on Friday.
The big picture: The terminations, also reaching Adm. Lisa Franchetti and Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James Slife, come amid the Trump administration's mass firings and pushback against diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.
- Brown, a four-star fighter pilot, is the first Black chief of staff of the Air Force and the second Black general to serve as chairman, following Colin Powell.
- Franchetti is the first woman to serve as the highest-ranking officer of the U.S. Navy.
- Brown, Franchetti and Slife were all nominated to their roles by former President Biden.
Context: The Pentagon will also fire about 5,400 probationary workers next week and impose a hiring freeze as part of the Trump administration's federal workforce overhaul.
- "As we take these important steps to reshape the workforce to meet the President's priorities, the Department will treat our workers with dignity and respect as it always does," the Defense Department said in a news release Friday.
Catch up quick: Trump has claimed the military's leadership is too heavily focused on diversity issues, and he signed an executive order on January 27 directing the Defense Department to ax DEI programs.
Zoom in: Trump thanked Brown for more than 40 years of service to the United States, calling him "a fine gentleman and an outstanding leader" in a Truth Social post.
- The president also nominated Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan "Razin" Caine for Joint Chief of Staffs chair, claiming he "was passed over for promotion" by Biden.
- Caine, a career F-16 pilot served on active duty and in the National Guard, and was the CIA's associate director for military affairs.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Franchetti and Slife's terminations by saying he was seeking nominations for their positions in a statement Friday.
- The Defense secretary has also described Brown's DEI work in the military as "woke," using the term as criticism.
- "Under President Trump," Hegseth said, "we are putting in place new leadership that will focus our military on its core mission of deterring, fighting and winning wars."
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional terminations and context.
