Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired or forced the retirement of 24 generals and senior commanders since Trump returned to office in January 2025, an unprecedented purge that has drawn alarm from military officials and Congress over the scale and pattern of the removals.
According to The Guardian’s investigation in May 2026, approximately 60 percent of those dismissed were Black or female officers, yet none were cited for performance-related reasons. The removals include Gen. C.Q. Brown, who served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Randy George, the Army Chief of Staff, and Adm. Lisa Franchetti, Chief of Naval Operations, among others.
Hegseth has framed his actions as part of a broader effort to reshape military culture, declaring in speeches that he is rooting out what he characterizes as “woke” distractions. In an October 2025 address to military leaders, he stated his mission was to “uproot the obvious distractions that have made the War Department less lethal in past years.” However, military officials have questioned the rationale for removing experienced commanders during an active conflict with Iran.
Beyond the dismissals, Hegseth has also intervened to block or delay promotions for more than a dozen Black and female senior officers, according to reporting by NBC News and The New York Times in April and June 2026. The New York Times reported that Hegseth personally struck female and Black Navy officers from promotion lists, an action that violated merit-based promotion rules designed to be apolitical.
The scale of these removals stands out historically. While Defense Secretaries have always had authority to shape military leadership, the combination of the number of dismissals, their timing during wartime, and the apparent pattern based on race and gender has prompted concern. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan questioned Hegseth’s decisions in May 2026, noting that “the Secretary of Defense cannot explain why he fired the Army Chief of Staff.” Congressional Democrats have raised alarm about the removals, with some describing the actions as an “ideological purge” rather than a performance-based restructuring.
Military readiness concerns have also surfaced. The dismissals and promotion blocks have created what Pentagon insiders describe as organizational instability at a critical moment. The removals extend beyond individual generals; Hegseth has also renamed ships and eliminated the Pentagon’s gender advisory committee as part of his broader cultural realignment of the military.
The removals continue to unfold. In June 2026, Gen. Chris Donahue, commander of U.S. Army Europe and Africa, stepped down following what observers characterized as pressure from Hegseth’s office. His departure marked the latest in a series that has reshaped the Pentagon’s senior leadership structure in ways that remain historically unusual in scope and pattern.
Sources
- The Guardian — reported in May 2026 that Hegseth has fired or forcibly retired 24 generals and senior commanders with no performance-related reasons given, approximately 60 percent of whom were Black or female officers
- NBC News — reported in April 2026 that Hegseth intervened to block or delay promotions for more than a dozen Black and female senior officers
- The New York Times — reported in June 2026 that Hegseth personally struck female and Black Navy officers from promotion lists, violating merit-based promotion rules
- U.S. Army Reserve — published Hegseth’s October 2025 speech on War Department reforms where he stated his mission to uproot “distractions that have made the War Department less lethal”
- AP News — reported on Hegseth’s September 2025 announcement of directives to end “woke” culture in the military
