WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� Defense Secretary insists President 鈥檚 abrupt firing of amid a wave of dismissals at the Pentagon wasn't unusual, brushing aside outcry that the new administration is openly seeking to inject politics into the military.
He also suggested more firings could come.
鈥淣othing about this is unprecedented," Hegseth told 鈥淔ox News Sunday鈥� about Air Force Gen. CQ Brown Jr. being removed Friday night as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. 鈥淭he president deserves to pick his key national security advisory team.鈥�
Hegseth said 鈥渢here are lots of presidents who made changes鈥� citing former commanders in chief, including Franklin D. Roosevelt, George H.W. Bush and Barack Obama. Obama, Hegseth said, 鈥渇ired or dismissed hundreds鈥� of military officials.
Months into his first term, Obama removed Army Gen. David McKiernan from being commander of the U.S. forces in Afghanistan. However, Trump, while running for his second term, vowed to eradicate 鈥渨oke鈥� ideologies from the military and to swiftly dismiss many top leaders.
Hegseth and Trump have made no secret about focusing on pushing aside military officers who have supported diversity, equity and inclusion in the ranks. The administration says the move will better fortify a lethal fighting force.
Brown was just the second Black general to serve as chairman. His 16 months in the post were consumed with the and the expanded . Trump in 2020 nominated Brown as Air Force鈥檚 chief of staff.
Trump wants to replace Brown with Air Force Lt. Gen. , who retired in December. It is unclear what recalling Caine to active-duty service will require. The position requires Caine to be confirmed by the Senate.
Hegseth said Friday's dismissals affected six three- and four-star generals and were 鈥渁 reflection of the president wanting the right people around him to execute the national security approach we want to take.鈥�
He called Brown 鈥渉onorable" but said he is 鈥渘ot the right man for the moment," without citing specific deficiencies. After the 2020 murder of , Brown in a video spoke of his experience as a Black pilot, apparently making him fodder for the Trump administration鈥檚 wars against inclusion initiatives in the military.
Of Caine, Hegseth said that Trump 鈥渞espects leaders who untie the hands of war fighters in a very dangerous world.鈥�
Retired Gen. George Casey called the firings 鈥渆xtremely destabilizing.鈥� Casey, who was Republican President George W. Bush鈥檚 commander of the U.S. and multinational forces in Iraq from 2004 to 2007, also noted that the Trump administration can change Pentagon policy without changing personnel, but added, that what happened is "within the president鈥檚 prerogative.鈥�
鈥淭hat鈥檚 his prerogative," Casey told ABC's 鈥淭his Week.鈥� 鈥淗e is the commander in chief of the armed forces.鈥�
Still, Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee told ABC that the firings were 鈥渃ompletely unjustified鈥� and that 鈥渁pparently, what Trump and Hegseth are trying to do is to politicize the Department of Defense.鈥�
Hegseth was also asked on Fox News about officials potentially compiling lists of more defense officials they plan to fire. He said there was no list but suggested that more dismissals could indeed be coming.
鈥淲e have a very keen eye towards military leadership and their willingness to follow lawful order," Hegseth said. 鈥淛oe Biden gave lawful orders. A lot of them are really bad," he said, adding that things like COVID vaccine mandates 鈥渆roded鈥� the military ideologically
鈥淧resident Trump has given another set of lawful orders and they will be followed," Hegseth said. "If they're not followed then those officers will find the door.鈥�
Will Weissert, The Associated Press
