The fate of Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, lies in the hands of President Donald Trump, who has signaled in the past that he considers the senior officer to be "doing a good job."
Trump has promised to fire "woke" military officers, and newly confirmed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has openly called on Brown to be ousted, reports The Washington Times.
"First off, you've got to fire the chairman of the Joint Chiefs. Obviously, you've got to bring in a new secretary of defense," Hegseth said in a November podcast, adding that any general who has been involved in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives "has got to go."
But Brown also has his supporters, who say that he should remain until his term expires in September 2027 because of his military experience in Europe, the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific region.
"That's particularly valuable right now as we see this axis of aggressors emerging — China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea working together," said Bradley Bowman, senior director of the Center on Military and Political Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank.
Trump nominated Brown as Air Force chief of staff in 2020, and there are signs he may be warming to letting the general stay as head of the Joint Chiefs.
The two spent about 20 minutes talking in a luxury box at the Army-Navy game in December, with Brown congratulating Trump on his election win and making it clear that he wants to work with the new administration.
Trump told a person traveling with him that their conversation had gone well and that Brown was doing a "good job" in his position, reports NBC News.
However, Trump has already acted to remove high-ranking military officers who are not aligned with the goals of his administration, including Adm. Linda Fagan, the commandant of the Coast Guard.
The Joint Chiefs chairman serves as a principal military adviser for the president and vice president and assists in command functions.
Typically, the chairman's four-year term is staggered between administrations, but there is no rule that can keep Trump from dismissing Brown.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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