In an unprecedented shake-up of the military’s senior ranks, President Donald Trump dismissed the nation’s top general on Friday night, shortly before his defense secretary removed both the chief of the Navy and the vice chief of the Air Force.
Trump announced the firing of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Charles Q. Brown, naming retired Air Force Lt. Gen. John Dan “Razin” Caine as his replacement—an unusual decision given that Caine is not a four-star general.
“Finally, I have also directed Secretary [of Defense Pete] Hegseth to solicit nominations for five additional high-level positions, which will be announced soon,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Shortly after, Defense Secretary, Hegseth issued a statement confirming the removal of Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the Navy’s top officer.
The decision to remove Brown, the second Black man to hold the nation’s highest military post, and Franchetti, the first woman to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, aligns with the administration’s policy of eliminating diversity and inclusion efforts across the military.
Hegseth had criticized Franchetti as a “DEI hire” in his 2024 book, writing, “If naval operations suffer, at least we can hold our heads high. Because at least we have another first! The first female member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff — hooray.”
Additionally, Hegseth announced the dismissal of Gen. James Slife, the vice chief of the Air Force, and signaled further leadership changes, requesting nominations for the Judge Advocates General of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
“Under President Trump, we are putting in place new leadership that will focus our military on its core mission of deterring, fighting, and winning wars,” Hegseth declared.
Rumours of these high-level dismissals had been circulating for weeks, with growing speculation that Brown’s tenure was at risk.
His removal became more likely when a formal list of planned changes was shared with some Republican lawmakers.
Trump has repeatedly criticized what he calls “woke” military leadership, with Brown frequently being a target of right-wing scrutiny.
Many Pentagon officials had questioned whether Brown would remain in his role after Trump took office.
A defense official revealed that Brown was informed of his firing in a phone call from Hegseth.
Federal law mandates that the president choose top military officers from the combatant commands or military service chiefs, all of whom hold four-star positions.
However, the president can override this requirement if deemed “necessary in the national interest.”
Trump justified his choice of Caine, calling him a “warfighter” who played a key role in the defeat of ISIS.
Concerns have also arisen over the planned overhaul of the Judge Advocate General Corps, the military’s top legal division responsible for overseeing military justice.
Retired military judge, Don Christensen, warned that replacing the JAGs was “extremely concerning,” explaining that they act as the military’s moral compass. “They serve as a conscience of the military and a moral guide as to what’s right and wrong,” he said, adding that the move suggests the administration “wants more compliant people in those positions.”
Trump had previously sparked controversy by intervening in military legal matters, issuing pardons in high-profile war crimes cases against Pentagon leadership’s advice.
CNN previously reported that then-Defense Secretary Mark Esper had warned Trump that such actions could undermine the military justice system.
Hegseth had long advocated for Brown’s removal, calling for his firing just days before Trump appointed him as defense secretary.
“First of all, you’ve got to fire the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs,” he had stated.
Trump and Brown were seen together at the Army-Navy football game in December. Brown, originally appointed by Trump as Chief of the Air Force, was later nominated by President Joe Biden to lead the Joint Chiefs in 2023, with his term originally set to run through 2027.
Trump has openly praised Caine, recalling his first meeting with him in Iraq during a 2019 speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference.
At the time, Caine was serving as the deputy commander for U.S. Special Operations in the Middle East. Trump described him as a leader who could have crushed ISIS “totally finished in one week.”
Recalling the encounter, Trump said Caine assured him, “They won’t know what the hell hit them, sir.”
