Trump Fires Top General CQ Brown in Pentagon Shake-Up

The dismissal of General Brown and other senior military officials signals a broader effort to reshape the U.S. military leadership and priorities.

President Donald Trump removed General CQ Brown, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, citing plans to nominate retired Lt. Gen. Dan Caine as his replacement.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also announced the dismissal of five senior military officials, including the Chief of Naval Operations and the Air Force Vice Chief of Staff.
General Brown, only the second Black officer to serve as Joint Chiefs Chairman, had been criticized by Hegseth for supporting diversity and equity initiatives in the military.
Opposition figures and former officials have raised concerns that these moves aim to politicize the military and consolidate loyalty to Trump.
The Pentagon is preparing for additional leadership changes as part of Trump's broader restructuring of military and civilian personnel policies.