Five Former US Defense Secretaries Assail Trump's Military Firings as Reckless

[Rogue Valley]

Five Former US Defense Secretaries Assail Trump's Military Firings as Reckless

2.27.25
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Five former U.S. defense secretaries on Thursday condemned President Donald Trump's "reckless" firing of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and other senior officers and called on Congress to halt any confirmation of their successors. In a scathing letter, they also accused Trump of seeking to make the apolitical U.S. military an instrument of partisan politics and using firings, which extend to the top army, navy and air force lawyers, to "remove legal constraints on the president's power." The letter was written by four defense secretaries who served under Democratic administrations as well as James Mattis, a retired Marine general who served as Trump's first Pentagon chief from 2017 to 2019. "President Trump's actions undermine our all-volunteer force and weaken our national security," they wrote.

"Mr. Trump's dismissals raise troubling questions about the administration's desire to politicize the military," they wrote. "We, like many Americans - including many troops - are therefore left to conclude that these leaders are being fired for purely partisan reasons." The letter cautioned that the actions at the Pentagon could deter Americans from choosing a life in the military, should their careers be judged through the lens of partisan politics. It could also have a chilling effect on speaking "truth to power," they cautioned. "We write to urge the U.S. Congress to hold Mr. Trump to account for these reckless actions and to exercise fully its Constitutional oversight responsibilities," they wrote.

Why Donald Trump fired the Chairman of the Joint Chief's and Secretary of the Navy is not all that difficult to deduce.

Joint Chief's Chairman General C.Q. Brown Is African-American, and Secretary of the Navy Admiral Lisa Franchetti is a woman. Trump believes that neither African-Americans nor women can achieve success via their talents alone.

Ergo, they must be diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) hires and they have to go (be fired).

 

[Grand Mal]

Five Former US Defense Secretaries Assail Trump's Military Firings as Reckless



Why Donald Trump fired the Chairman of the Joint Chief's and Secretary of the Navy is not all that difficult to deduce.

Joint Chief's Chairman General C.Q. Brown Is African-American, and Secretary of the Navy Admiral Lisa Franchetti is a woman. Trump believes that neither African-Americans nor women can achieve success via their talents alone.

Ergo, they must be diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) hires and they have to go (be fired).

Oddly enough, Trump appointed General Brown to the Joint Chiefs of Staff as Chief of the Air Force.
And Cain, brought out of retirement, is the first JCOS Chairman who was never Chief of a service.

 

[dmpi]

Hired under DEI, fired under DEI.

 

[Old 'N Chill]

It's a shame his integrity and value was dismissed and hopes shot down by a White Nationalist president and his Fascist regime.

 

[Isidore]

Hired under DEI, fired under DEI.

Who promotes these people?

 

[eohrnberger]

Hired under DEI, fired under DEI.

I'm thinking its more so continuing to demand DEI remain in place, when that's not the agenda of the president.
There's only one person who is going to remain in such a conflict,and its not the person who reports to the president.

 

[Grand Mal]

Hired under DEI, fired under DEI.

Was Gen. Brown DEI when Trump appointed him to the Joint Chiefs of Staff?
Or it it possible he was less than enthusiastic about Trump closing down overseas based?

 

[ColdHardTruth]

Oddly enough, Trump appointed General Brown to the Joint Chiefs of Staff as Chief of the Air Force.
And Cain, brought out of retirement, is the first JCOS Chairman who was never Chief of a service.

Racism. Plain and simple.

 

[dmpi]

I'm thinking its more so continuing to demand DEI remain in place, when that's not the agenda of the president.
There's only one person who is going to remain in such a conflict,and its not the person who reports to the president.

The only way to wipe DEI off the face of the earth is to first undo all the damaged it caused. It's immense because people's reputation have been damaged, and stereotypes and biases have been reinforced rather than diminished.

 

[ColdHardTruth]

The only way to wipe DEI off the face of the earth is to first undo all the damaged it caused. It's immense because people's reputation have been damaged, and stereotypes and biases have been reinforced rather than diminished.

This is hateful right-wing bullshit.

 

[Grand Mal]

I'm thinking its more so continuing to demand DEI remain in place, when that's not the agenda of the president.

Trump appointed Gen. Brown to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Was that DEI?
Oddly enough, not long after Trump replaced him with a retired general who had never been a Chief of a service, the base in Greece was closed.
Any chance Brown resisted that decision so he was replaced by someone more 'yes-man' oriented?

There's only one person who is going to remain in such a conflict,and its not the person who reports to the president.

 

[Grand Mal]

The only way to wipe DEI off the face of the earth is to first undo all the damaged it caused. It's immense because people's reputation have been damaged, and stereotypes and biases have been reinforced rather than diminished.

See above.

 

[eohrnberger]

Trump appointed Gen. Brown to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Was that DEI?

This a question with a preconceived demanded answer.

Oddly enough, not long after Trump replaced him with a retired general who had never been a Chief of a service, the base in Greece was closed.

Any chance Brown resisted that decision so he was replaced by someone more 'yes-man' oriented?

Occam's Razor comes into play, the president has a popular and populist agenda he's going to implement, one which the general wasn't going to support.
Given that the general serves at the president's pleasure, how do you think that was going to end?

 

[Grand Mal]

This a question with a preconceived demanded answer.

It's an obvious answer. No, Gen. Brown was not a DEI appointment. You guys just like to beak off that term.

Occam's Razor comes into play, the president has a popular and populist agenda he's going to implement, one which the general wasn't going to support.

You don't know what the general did or didn't support. You just like to say, "DEI! DEI!"

Given that the general serves at the president's pleasure, how do you think that was going to end?

Given Browns complexion there's only one way MAGAs will think he got into such a high position. And only one reason they would say Trump canned him.

 

[eohrnberger]

It's an obvious answer. No, Gen. Brown was not a DEI appointment. You guys just like to beak off that term.

Not a term which I use with any frequency. I'm only responsible for what I post.

You don't know what the general did or didn't support. You just like to say, "DEI! DEI!"

It is pretty obvious given what is in the public sphere of information.

Given Browns complexion there's only one way MAGAs will think he got into such a high position. And only one reason they would say Trump canned him.

Your racism is showing and being baselessly projected onto others.

 

[Peacenik]

Five Former US Defense Secretaries Assail Trump's Military Firings as Reckless



Why Donald Trump fired the Chairman of the Joint Chief's and Secretary of the Navy is not all that difficult to deduce.

Joint Chief's Chairman General C.Q. Brown Is African-American, and Secretary of the Navy Admiral Lisa Franchetti is a woman. Trump believes that neither African-Americans nor women can achieve success via their talents alone.

Ergo, they must be diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) hires and they have to go (be fired).

He doesn't want qualified people. He wants subservient people.

 

[Questerr]

Oddly enough, Trump appointed General Brown to the Joint Chiefs of Staff as Chief of the Air Force.
And Cain, brought out of retirement, is the first JCOS Chairman who was never Chief of a service.

Caine has never held any significant component command at all. He’s wildly unqualified.

By Rightwing standards, he’s a DEI hire.

 

[Questerr]

Hired under DEI, fired under DEI.

Explain how Brown was “hired under DEI”? How is he not qualified for his position?

 

[Deuce]

Hired under DEI, fired under DEI.

Trump made a DEI hire for SecDef? LOL.

Right wingers are always full of shit, about absolutely everything. Just lie lie lie, all day every day.

 

[Deuce]

The only way to wipe DEI off the face of the earth is to first undo all the damaged it caused. It's immense because people's reputation have been damaged, and stereotypes and biases have been reinforced rather than diminished.

He wants to eliminate diversity.

So, straight up genocide then.

 

[Exquisitor]

Hey, if it's another buck on the save pile (not borrow).

 

[Athanasius68]

Explain how Brown was “hired under DEI”? How is he not qualified for his position?

General Brown had supported DEI.

 

[Questerr]

General Brown had supported DEI.

Which has nothing to do with what supposed DEI program he was hired under.

 

[Grand Mal]

Caine has never held any significant component command at all. He’s wildly unqualified.

By Rightwing standards, he’s a DEI hire.

Passes the sufficient loyalty test. Didn't Earn It, but got it anyway.

 

[Athanasius68]

Which has nothing to do with what supposed DEI program he was hired under.

He was let go because of his support for that political boondoggle.