Brown, a retired Air Force general appointed by former US President Joe Biden, was removed Friday night, marking the first major move in what Trump allies describe as a campaign to eliminate “woke generals” from the US military.
Following his election victory, reports surfaced that Trump intended to form a “warrior board” of retired military officers to assess and remove top officials deemed unfit for leadership. Brown, a widely respected former fighter pilot and senior commander, was rumored to be a potential target of the initiative.
Despite being seen as apolitical, Brown has been an advocate for diversity within the military. In the days after George Floyd’s 2020 killing, he publicly addressed racial discrimination in the ranks. His support for diversity and equity programs put him at odds with Trump’s vision for the armed forces.
Trump announced Brown’s departure in a social media post, calling him “a fine gentleman and an outstanding leader” while offering well wishes for his future. However, his removal signals the beginning of a deeper shake-up within the Pentagon.
Trump’s purge of military leadership comes despite Brown’s support from key lawmakers and a seemingly amicable interaction with Trump at the Army-Navy football game in December. Brown had also been in regular discussions with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who took over the Pentagon four weeks ago.
Vice President JD Vance, who opposed Brown’s confirmation as Joint Chiefs chairman in 2023, has been a vocal critic of Pentagon leadership under Biden. He previously argued that military officers resisting Trump’s policies should be removed. “If the people in your own government aren’t obeying you, you have got to get rid of them and replace them with people who are responsive to what the president’s trying to do,” Vance said in an interview before the election.
Trump has nominated Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine to replace Brown, calling him a “warfighter” with significant operational experience. Trump credited Caine with helping execute the military campaign against Daesh (ISIL or ISIS) during his first term and criticized Biden for previously overlooking him for promotion.
The restructuring effort extends beyond Brown’s dismissal. Trump has instructed Hegseth to seek candidates for five high-level Pentagon positions. Former and current US officials anticipate further removals as Trump prioritizes loyalty in military and civilian leadership.
During his campaign, Trump repeatedly vowed to rid the armed forces of leaders he viewed as promoting progressive ideologies. When asked in June whether he would fire so-called “woke” generals, he told Fox News, “I would fire them. You can’t have a woke military.”
Trump has also promised to reverse Pentagon policies implemented under Biden, including the renaming of military bases previously honoring Confederate figures. His strongest messaging has targeted transgender troops, vowing in a campaign ad, “WE WILL NOT HAVE A WOKE MILITARY!”
Kori Schake of the conservative American Enterprise Institute warned that a second Trump administration could see widespread dismissals within military leadership. “I think there will be an enormous chaos premium in a second Trump term, both because of the policies he will attempt to enact and the people he will put in place to enact them,” she said.
However, a senior military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, downplayed concerns about instability, saying that military officers remain focused on warfighting rather than political agendas. “What these guys will find out is that military officers are generally focused on warfighting and not politics,” the official said. “I feel they’ll be satisfied with that—or at least they should be.”