Trump fires senior generals and US Navy Commander

According to CNN on February 22, in an unprecedented dismissal of senior military leaders on the evening of February 21 (Washington time), President Donald Trump fired the top US general, just minutes before the Secretary of Defense fired the US Navy Commander and others.

In announcing the firing, President Trump called Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Charles Q. Brown a “gentleman” and “an outstanding leader.” General Brown was the second black chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the first black commander in the history of the U.S. military when he took over as Air Force chief in 2020.

President Trump previously alluded to the layoffs in an announcement on the Truth Social platform.

“Finally, I have asked the Secretary of Defense to nominate five additional senior positions, which will be announced shortly,” Trump wrote.

Minutes later, Defense Secretary Hegseth announced the firing of Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the chief of naval operations and the first woman to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Hegseth also said that Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James Slife had been fired, and that he was “calling for nominations” for the positions of solicitor general for the Army, Navy and Air Force.

“Under President Trump, we are appointing new leadership that will focus the military on its core mission of deterring, fighting, and winning wars,” Hegseth said on the evening of February 21.

The firings have been expected for weeks, with rumors circulating around the Pentagon. But speculation about the firing of General Brown and others became more serious when an official list was recently shared by several Republican lawmakers.

President Trump has criticized generals and officers he calls “modern,” and General Brown has been a frequent target of right-wing criticism. Many Pentagon officials have openly wondered whether Brown would be fired quickly after President Trump’s inauguration.