President Donald Trump has dismissed General CQ Brown as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, leading a major shake-up in the Pentagon’s leadership.
Brown, a highly regarded Air Force officer, was among six senior officials removed, including Admiral Lisa Franchetti, General James Slife, and top legal advisors for the Army, Navy, and Air Force. The move is part of Trump’s effort to eliminate military officials who have supported diversity, equity, and inclusion policies.
Trump has nominated retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine as Brown’s replacement.
Brown, who was the second Black general to serve as the nation’s top military officer, had been in the role since October 2023. Trump’s decision aligns with his broader initiative to cut costs and reshape military leadership in line with his policy priorities.
Speculation about Brown’s removal intensified after Trump’s nomination of Pete Hegseth as defense secretary. Hegseth, a former Fox News host, had previously stated in an interview that Brown needed to be fired for implementing what he described as “woke” policies.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump thanked Brown for his four decades of service and wished him well. However, his decision to nominate Caine departs from the traditional practice of selecting a sitting service chief or combat commander for the role.
Caine, who met Trump during a 2018 visit to Iraq, recently retired from the military and has worked with Shield Capital as a venture partner. He has also served as a senior military advisor to the CIA and was previously an F-16 pilot and White House fellow.
Trump has instructed Hegseth to nominate five additional candidates for high-level positions. The administration is also moving forward with plans to cut the Department of Defense workforce by 5% to 8%, which could result in tens of thousands of job losses.
The Pentagon shake-up has drawn mixed reactions, with Republican leaders supporting Trump’s authority to select his own military advisors, while Democratic lawmakers warn that the dismissals could undermine military professionalism and morale.
