Members of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team are reportedly creating a list of senior military officials to be dismissed, potentially including members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in a plan that could lead to an unprecedented overhaul at the Pentagon.
The list is part of early-stage planning following Trump’s November 5 election win and could evolve as his administration takes shape, according to two anonymous sources familiar with the process.
One source expressed doubts about the feasibility of enacting a large-scale shake-up, and it remains uncertain whether Trump himself would support such a plan. However, Trump has previously criticized defense leaders who spoke out against him and has indicated during his campaign that he would remove “woke” generals, as well as those involved in the problematic 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal.
The second source revealed that the new administration may target military officers with connections to General Mark Milley, Trump’s former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Milley, quoted in Bob Woodward’s recent book as labeling Trump “fascist to the core,” has faced criticism from Trump allies over perceived disloyalty. “Everyone promoted by Milley will be gone,” the source said, adding that a detailed list exists of those affiliated with Milley.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff, which includes the highest-ranking officers from the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, National Guard, and Space Force, could face substantial changes if these plans proceed. The news follows Trump’s appointment of Pete Hegseth as defense secretary, a Fox News commentator and veteran who has voiced support for a sweeping leadership purge at the Pentagon.
Hegseth, in his 2024 book The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free, argued that a radical reorganization of Pentagon leadership is necessary to strengthen national defense, emphasizing, “Lots of people need to be fired.” However, questions remain about whether Hegseth’s limited management experience could complicate his Senate confirmation or if a more traditional defense secretary would enact such broad dismissals.
Air Force General CQ Brown, Milley’s successor, could be one of the first officials affected, according to Hegseth’s statements questioning whether Brown’s appointment was due to race. The initial source also noted that the Joint Chiefs and their deputies might be among those immediately dismissed, though plans are still in development.
While some current and former officials have downplayed the likelihood of such a massive restructuring, citing concerns about the impact on military operations amid global conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, the second source suggested that Trump’s team believes a smaller Joint Chiefs structure could address what they view as bureaucratic overreach.
“These positions are replaceable, and there’s no shortage of qualified candidates,” the source said, adding, “In World War II, we rapidly promoted people in their 30s to general roles, and we won the war.”
