Firing fears ripple through "Mean Girls" Pentagon
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Illustration: Maura Kearns/Axios
Breakfast meetings, happy hours and group chats across Washington are abuzz with the same question: Who gets axed next?
The big picture: The ousters this month of U.S. Navy Secretary John Phelan and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, alongside two other service leaders, have intensified Pentagon palace intrigue.
- The nerves are particularly charged inside the building.
Driving the news: At least 15 defense officials have abruptly left or been pushed out of their jobs under Trump 2.0.
- The exits, civilian and uniform, are the results of clashing politics, policies and personalities.
What they're saying: "There's a lot of confusion and head-shaking," an administration official told Axios, describing the vibe this week.
- "It feels so much like petty, high-school or middle-school drama," the person added.
- "You have this pervasive, 'Oh my gosh, what is the next perceived slight that is going to upset the Mean Girls.'"
Zoom in: Relations between Phelan and Hegseth deteriorated over time.
- Phelan's direct line to President Trump, for whom he raised millions of campaign dollars, irked Hegseth. Shipbuilding reform, a presidential priority, was also a sticking point.
- When asked if Phelan and Hegseth had beef, a Pentagon spokesperson referred Axios to a statement on X that laid out no specific reason for the firing.
Zoom out: This infighting rages amid the Iran war. Both Navy warships and Army air defenders are under incredible pressure across the Middle East.
- One former senior military leader discussing the current climate noted that a political appointee or general can only be effective if they feel entrusted and empowered to use their judgement and make difficult choices.
- Trust is not running particularly high at the moment.
What to watch: Phelan's firing reignited insider gossip about whether Hegseth might make a move against Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, with whom he has well-publicized differences.
- The conventional wisdom has been that Driscoll's close friendship with Vice President Vance makes him untouchable, though Phelan's personal relationship with Trump didn't save him.
- The ousted naval secretary was reportedly so stunned by the news that he traveled to the White House for confirmation.
- While there's also been recent Cabinet-level reshuffling, Hegseth's own standing within Trump world remains strong, sources say.
Go deeper: The Pentagon's bunker mentality
