Washington, February 22, 2025 – U.S. President Donald Trump has dismissed General Charles “CQ” Brown, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in a sweeping overhaul of the nation’s military leadership.
“I want to thank General Charles ‘CQ’ Brown for his over 40 years of service to our country,” Trump announced on social media, confirming the removal of five other top military officials.
Gen. Brown, the second Black officer to hold the post, had been advising both the president and the secretary of defense on national security matters. His dismissal follows calls from U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who previously criticized Brown for his focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in the military.
Later on Friday, Hegseth also announced the removal of Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti and Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Jim Slife, both appointed by former President Joe Biden.
“Under President Trump, we are putting in place new leadership that will focus our military on its core mission of deterring, fighting, and winning wars,” Hegseth said in a statement.
Trump named Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan Caine as his choice to replace Brown. A career F-16 pilot, Caine previously served as the CIA’s associate director for military affairs. Trump has praised him publicly, recalling their first meeting in Iraq and describing him as looking “better than any movie actor you could get.”
Gen. Brown’s dismissal had been widely speculated, with reports circulating throughout the week. At the time of Trump’s announcement, Brown was visiting troops at the southern U.S. border. His term was originally set to expire in 2027.
Brown first gained national attention in 2020 when he spoke about racial challenges in the military following the death of George Floyd. In a video message, he shared personal experiences of being one of the few Black men in his unit and facing scrutiny over his credentials.
As Air Force Chief of Staff in 2022, he co-signed a memo advocating for increased minority officer recruitment, a move that some conservatives criticized as part of the military’s “woke” agenda.
His firing follows Trump’s earlier dismissal of Admiral Linda Fagan, the Coast Guard’s first female commandant, last month. At the time, Trump cited concerns over an “excessive focus” on diversity.
Meanwhile, a federal court in Maryland has temporarily blocked Trump from implementing bans on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, ruling that they may violate First Amendment rights.
Additionally, the Pentagon announced it would cut its budget and lay off 5,400 probationary employees next week, marking a significant shift in the administration’s military policies.
Trump’s moves signal a broader effort to reshape the U.S. armed forces, replacing senior officials and shifting focus away from diversity initiatives toward combat readiness.
