March 1, 2025 Story by: Editor
Five former U.S. defense secretaries have strongly criticized former President Donald Trump’s recent dismissal of senior military leaders, calling the move “reckless” and urging Congress not to confirm their replacements.
In a rare bipartisan letter sent to lawmakers on Thursday, the former Pentagon chiefs—including one who previously served under Trump—called for “immediate hearings to assess the national security implications of Mr. Trump’s dismissals.”
The letter was signed by William J. Perry, Leon Panetta, Chuck Hagel, Lloyd J. Austin III, and Jim Mattis, all of whom served under both Democratic and Republican administrations since 1994.
Trump’s Military Purge Raises Concerns
Last Friday, Trump dismissed Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., a four-star fighter pilot and only the second African American to serve as Joint Chiefs chairman. He announced plans to replace Brown with Dan Caine, a lesser-known retired three-star Air Force general.
The shake-up also saw the removal of six top Pentagon officials, including Adm. Lisa Franchetti, chief of Naval Operations; Gen. James Slife, vice chief of the Air Force; and the top legal officers for the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
“Mr. Trump’s dismissals raise troubling questions about the administration’s desire to politicize the military and to remove legal constraints on the president’s power,” the former defense secretaries stated in their letter. “Talented Americans may be far less likely to choose a life of military service if they believe they will be held to a political standard.”
Defense Secretary Defends Firings
Despite the backlash, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the dismissals, asserting that the president has the authority to appoint officials of his choosing.
However, the five former defense leaders have urged Congress to “hold Mr. Trump to account for these reckless actions and to exercise fully its constitutional oversight responsibilities.”
Source: The New York Times
