Sen. Jack Reed, the leading Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, expressed concerns on Sunday regarding President Donald Trump’s late-night dismissal of senior Pentagon officials, warning it could jeopardize the military’s nonpartisan integrity.
“This action was entirely unnecessary. These individuals were exceptional professionals committed to their duty of upholding the U.S. Constitution. It appears that Trump and [Defense Secretary Pete] Hegseth are trying to inject politics into the Department of Defense. It’s telling that they chose Kash Patel as FBI director—someone who is openly partisan and, in my opinion, shows a lack of regard for the FBI’s tradition of impartiality,” Reed remarked during an interview.
“Now, their focus has shifted to the Department of Defense, aiming to ensure that everyone there is loyal to the president instead of the Constitution,” he added. “They demand total compliance, irrespective of the law.”
In a surprising move on Friday evening, Trump announced the dismissal of Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. CQ Brown. Alongside Brown, other senior officials were also let go, including Chief of Naval Operations Lisa Franchetti, the Navy’s highest-ranking admiral. This unprecedented action marked the first instance in history where two members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff were dismissed at the same time.
In a post on social media, Trump revealed his intention to nominate retired Lt. Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs, a role that will require Senate confirmation.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff is a group of senior military leaders who offer strategic counsel to the president and the Department of Defense. It was created to maintain a nonpartisan stance, with four-year terms designed to extend across various presidential administrations.
Reed expressed concern that the ousting of high-ranking officials has undermined the military, especially the firing of three senior military legal advisors.
“What was particularly troubling over the weekend was the dismissal of all the top military legal officers. When someone plans to violate the law, a common tactic is to get rid of the lawyers first. This represents a serious and dangerous weakening of the fundamental principles of our military, and we are already seeing the consequences,” he remarked. “People are starting to wonder if they should remain, and capable leaders are contemplating departure. This signals the beginning of a significant decline in the strength and impartiality of our armed forces.”
Retired Gen. George Casey Jr., who previously served as the U.S. Army chief of staff under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, cautioned that Brown’s removal could jeopardize the safety of the United States.
“This is highly destabilizing, especially at a time when we face significant challenges both domestically and internationally. The removal of so many senior leaders without proper justification breeds deep uncertainty within the ranks, and it’s simply not beneficial for the military during such a critical period,” Casey stated.
Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced plans to eliminate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs from the military, with Hegseth suggesting that Brown’s dismissal was tied to his involvement in those initiatives. “That’s a serious issue for me because these leaders were executing lawful directives from the previous administration. Now, we’re punishing them for following legal orders? That’s completely unfair,” Casey remarked.
Despite his criticism of the administration’s actions, Casey acknowledged that Trump had the authority as president to make these decisions. However, he stressed that the reasons for the dismissals should have been communicated more clearly.
“I may not agree with the timing or the manner in which these removals were executed, but it is well within the president’s authority. As commander in chief, he has the power to implement these changes, and we in the military here to the directives of our civilian leadership,” Casey added.
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