Chicago February 22, 2025
In a shocking move, President Donald Trump fired the top US general, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Charles Q. Brown, on Friday night. Brown was replaced by retired Air Force Lt. Gen. John Dan “Razin” Caine, who is not a four-star general.
Minutes later, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the firing of Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the chief of the US Navy, and General James Slife, the vice chief of the Air Force. Hegseth also removed the judge advocates general of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
The firings appear to be part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to reshape the military leadership. Trump has directed Hegseth to nominate five additional high-level positions, which will be announced soon.
The removal of Brown and Franchetti sends a strong signal about the administration’s stance on diversity and inclusion efforts in the military. Hegseth has been critical of these efforts, calling Franchetti a “DEI hire” in his 2024 book.
