“He's consolidating power. That's clear.
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Hegseth Pentagon Purge of Senior Military Officers
February 22, 2025
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired or forced out more than a dozen senior military officers since taking office, including Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. CQ Brown, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti, and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George. The purge, framed as removing "woke" generals and restoring a "warrior ethos," has drawn bipartisan concern — particularly after the firing of Gen. George in April 2026 during the active U.S.-Iran conflict. Five former defense secretaries condemned the firings as "reckless" in a joint letter to Congress.
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“Well, it's not my place to have confidence in him.
“He seems to be firing some pretty good people. Whether they deserve it or not, I don't know. I voted for him. I'd probably vote for him again.
“We are at a 25-year low for the number of women on the promotion list, and he’s created an environment of fear.
“He has purged over 80 generals and admirals, the top 10% of the entire military chain of command has been purged.
“I think he's doing a fantastic job, but it's very early to talk about that.
“Right now, all [Hegseth] loves is, and all he cares about is, the military and taking care of the military.
“I urge the President to find a new leader at the Pentagon who will retain and empower our military talent rather than diminish it.
“I have never witnessed more inept management of the brave men and women who serve our country.
“He is intimidated by competence and retreats to ginning up culture wars instead of soberly attending to the vital work of our national defense and the health and well-being of our fighting force.
“I hate to tell the president who he should hire and fire … but he would not be on my team. I think he has not been a very good leader.
“I'm hearing the same rumors as everybody else — that he was frustrated with some of his top generals being released, and that's not the first time I've heard that. I think that points to questions that we're going to be asking when we get back.
“The idea that these lists cannot be altered is ridiculous; every single secretary has exercised this exact prerogative.
“Military promotions are given to those who have earned them. This has always been the case under Secretary Hegseth and will not change.
“It's likely that experienced generals are telling Hegseth his Iran war plans are unworkable, disastrous, and deadly.
“We made great progress on increasing recruitment, improving efficiency, and modernizing the Army. Throughout his long career in service to America, Gen. George has demonstrated his commitment, courage, and leadership.
“That's a recipe not just for a politicized military, but an authoritarian military.
“I've never heard him say anything contrary to what the president's trying to achieve. He's a brilliant mind. I will look into it immediately.
“A great general, principled leader, & a committed American. The wisdom of his council comes from his many years of experience and his character as a man.
“If Secretary Hegseth's decision to remove four decorated officers from a promotion list after having been selected by their peers for their merit and performance is accurate, it would be illegal. Denying the promotions of individual officers based on their race or gender would betray every principle of merit-based service military officers uphold throughout their careers.
“We are writing to express our serious concerns about Secretary Hegseth's statements regarding the abrupt dismissals of several Judge Advocate Generals and demand legal justification and documentation of the decision-making process.
“Together, we're reawakening the warrior spirit, and this is a spirit that won and built this nation. And from the cavalry that tamed the Great Plains to the ferocious unyielding power of Patton, Bradley and the great General Douglas MacArthur.
“If the words I'm speaking today are making your heart sink, then you should do the honorable thing and resign. We would thank you for your service.
“The era of politically correct, overly sensitive, don't-hurt-anyone's-feelings leadership ends right now.
“I want to thank General Charles 'CQ' Brown for his over 40 years of service to our country, including as our current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He is a fine gentleman and an outstanding leader, and I wish a great future for him and his family.
“You think CQ Brown will think intuitively about external threats and internal readiness? No chance. He built his generalship dutifully pursuing the radical positions of left-wing politicians, who in turn rewarded him with promotions.
“I thank General Brown for his decades of honorable service to our nation.
“Firing uniformed leaders as a type of political loyalty test, or for reasons relating to diversity and gender that have nothing to do with performance, erodes the trust and professionalism that our servicemembers require to achieve their missions.
“A guy with a track record of being so drunk at work events that he needed to be carried out on multiple occasions. Can we really count on calling Hegseth at 2AM to make life and death national security decisions?