Hegseth responds to blowback over Friday night Pentagon purge

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Sunday defended the purge of top-level military officials amid blowback to the Friday night firings.

The firing of Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. CQ Brown Jr., as well as five other top defense officials, has raised alarm from Democrats and former defense officials who say the decision will have a chilling effect on military leadership, which is already bracing for mass firings of civilian employees and sweeping cuts to defense budgets.

In an interview on “Fox News Sunday,” Hegseth sought to play down the extraordinary move, saying, "There is civilian control of the military. Nothing about this is unprecedented."

"The president deserves to pick his key national security and military advisory team. There are lots of presidents who've made changes, from FDR to Eisenhower to H.W. Bush to Barack Obama," he said, adding, "This is a reflection of the president wanting the right people around him to execute the national security approach we want to take."

Hegseth said Brown was “not the right man for the moment” and praised venture capitalist and retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine, whom President Trump has said he will nominate in Brown’s stead.

“I have a lot of respect for CQ Brown. I got to know him over the course of a month. He's an honorable man. Not the right man for the moment,” Hegseth said. “And ultimately, the president made that call, and Dan Razin Caine is going to be a fantastic chairman. I look forward to working with him.”

Hegseth said Caine was among the only people who told Trump defeating ISIS could be done in a matter of weeks, which he said Trump appreciated.

“And he will give straightforward advice, as he did to President Trump, on the defeat of ISIS. No one else said it could be done in a matter of weeks. Razin Caine said it could. And guess what? It happened.”

“And the president respects leaders who untie the hands of war fighters in a very dangerous world,” Hegseth continued. “I think Dan Caine is the man to meet the moment.”

Brown’s firing was announced in a Trump Truth Social post Friday evening, while Brown was in Texas visiting troops on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Less than an hour later, Hegseth said in a statement that he is “requesting nominations” for replacements for Chief of Naval Operations Lisa Franchetti — the first woman to serve on the Joint Chiefs — and Air Force Vice Chief Gen. James Slife, revealing that they too would be axed.

Hegseth also said he was looking for new nominations for the Army, Navy and Air Force’s top lawyers, or the judge advocates general (TJAG).

Fox News anchor Shannon Bream pressed Hegseth on some of the online backlash, specifically asking about a post from a law professor who said the firings of the lawyers “in some ways" are “even more chilling than firing the four stars.”

“It's what you do when you're planning to break the law: You get rid of any lawyers who might try to slow you down,” said the post from Rosa Brooks, a Georgetown Law professor, which Bream read aloud.

Hegseth dismissed concerns over the firings of the TJAGs as “hyperbole.”

“Ultimately, we want lawyers who give sound constitutional advice and don't exist to attempt to be roadblocks to anything, anything that happens in their spots. What we know about these TJAGs — they're called TJAGs inside the military — traditionally, they've been elected by each other, or chosen by each other, which is exactly how it works, often with the chairman as well,” he said.

“Small group of insulated officers who perpetuate the status quo,” Hegseth continued. “Well, guess what? The status quo hasn't worked very well at the Pentagon. It's time for fresh blood.”

Topics

Evening Report — Hegseth moves to shake up Pentagon

{beacon} Evening Report TRUMP FIRST 100 DAYS © Virginia Mayo, Associated Press Hegseth moves to shake up the Pentagon DEFENSE SECRETARY PETE HEGSETH is moving to overhaul the Pentagon through ...
The Hill - 1d
Hegseth wants massive Pentagon cuts, but many obstacles stand in his way

To come anywhere close to Hegseth’s target, the Pentagon bureaucracy will engage in yet another cut drill, with many promising programs falling on the cutting room floor while legacy activities ...
The Hill - 2d
Hegseth previews Pentagon staffing cuts, targets probationary employees

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Pentagon is preparing for a hiring freeze and an “aggressive” effort to fire civilian employees as the Trump administration’s axe to the federal workforce ...
The Hill - 2d
Friday Briefing

Germans head to the polls.
The New York Times - 2d
NASCAR Friday schedule at Atlanta

NASCAR is back at the track for the first time since last September.
Yahoo Sports - 2d
Friday Briefing: Germans Are Choosing New Leadership

Plus, volcano tourism in Sicily.
The New York Times - 2d
Firings Expand at Interior Department With Purge of Probationary Workers

More than 2,000 workers at the Interior Department were fired in recent days, according to counts from workers groups and those familiar with the cuts, as probationary workers were targeted across ...
The New York Times - 4d
Here's the Extent of the Fallout From Trump's HHS Purge

This is a MedPage Today story. Thousands of employees of federal health agencies have been let go in a chaotic and slow-rolling Trump administration purge over the holiday weekend. While the ...
ABC News - 4d
'Indiscriminate’ Pentagon cuts unnerve Democrats

{beacon} Welcome to The Hill's Defense & NatSec newsletter {beacon} Defense &National Security Defense &National Security The Big Story 'Indiscriminate’ Pentagon cuts unnerve Democrats Democrats ...
The Hill - 2d