Sources familiar with President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team have revealed plans to fire multiple military officers, potentially including the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The firings are in the early stages of planning and could change as the administration takes shape. There is uncertainty about whether Trump will endorse the plan, given his past criticisms of defense leaders.
The focus of the firings is likely to be on officers connected to Mark Milley, Trump’s former Joint Chiefs chairman, who criticized Trump in Bob Woodward’s book “War.” The goal is to remove anyone affiliated with Milley, according to sources.
Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick for defense secretary, has previously expressed a desire to overhaul Pentagon leadership. He has singled out General C.Q. Brown, Milley’s successor, questioning his qualifications and suggesting he could be among the first to be fired.
While some officials have downplayed the possibility of such widespread dismissals, others believe the Joint Chiefs of Staff needs to be reduced due to bureaucratic overreach. The planning for these firings could be seen as posturing by Trump allies or a serious attempt to make the military more agile.
Despite the potential challenges of firing and replacing a large number of senior military officials, the sources believe it is possible and necessary. They argue that the U.S. military has a history of rapidly promoting and replacing leaders in times of war.
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