President Donald Trump arrives at an election night watch party, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Evan Vucci/AP)
"I want to thank General Charles 'CQ' Brown for his over 40 years of service to our country, including as our current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He is a fine gentleman and an outstanding leader, and I wish a great future for him and his family," Trump wrote in a social media post.
Trump campaigned heavily on the idea of removing "woke" generals from the top of the military, especially those he believed were responsible for botching the U.S. exit from Afghanistan in 2021.
Trump’s defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has also made it a point to root out Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the military, going so far as to question whether Brown was given the nod as the nation’s top military officer as a result of his race.
"Was it because of his skin color? Or his skill? We'll never know, but always doubt – which on its face seems unfair to CQ. But since he has made the race card one of his biggest calling cards, it doesn't really much matter," Hegseth wrote in his 2024 book.
Adm. Lisa Franchetti (U.S. Navy)
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"Firing uniformed leaders as a type of political loyalty test, or for reasons relating to diversity and gender that have nothing to do with performance, erodes the trust and professionalism that our service members require to achieve their missions," Reed told Reuters.
The White House did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.
Michael Lee is a writer for Fox News. Prior to joining Fox News, Michael worked for the Washington Examiner, Bongino.com, and Unbiased America. He has covered politics for more than eight years.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-goes-unprecedented-pentagon-firing-spree-report