A major campaign promise by President-elect Donald Trump — echoed by his defense secretary pick Pete Hegseth – Center for the salvation of military generals whom they consider too “woke”.
“I will fire them. You can’t wake up the military,” Trump said Fox News interview in June Summarize his views.
“Any general that was involved — general, admiral, whatever — that was involved in the DEI vigilante shit, it had to go,” Hegseth said. said in a podcast interview released in November which preceded his nomination.
They claim that the military has been so distracted in its efforts to promote diversity in its ranks that it has negatively affected the body’s readiness for conflict as well as its ability to recruit new soldiers. Pentagon officials have denied these claims, However and a 2022 RAND Corporation Report Key ways in which the use of diversity can be beneficial to the military and its ability to develop new technologies are identified and Build strong teams. According to many national security expertsThere is little evidence to support Trump and Hegseth’s claims.
It said that if Trump wants to fire generals after taking office, he can do so.
“The president has the unilateral authority to fire ordinary officers,” said Kathryn Kuzminski, director of the military, veterans and society program at the Center for a New American Security, a think tank specializing in national security. Under the broad powers granted by the constitution to presidents as commander-in-chief of the country, they can remove generals for loss of confidence in their leadership.
According to a The Wall Street Journal reportsThe incoming administration is already laying the groundwork for such firings. According to a draft executive order obtained, the Trump White House is considering establishing a “warrior board” of former generals and military officials dedicated to reviewing current military leaders. After their review, the panel will reportedly determine which officers they want to remove, with the goal of retiring them to their existing positions within 20 days.
Trump has only spoken vaguely about a change in military leadership, so it’s unclear exactly how many high-ranking troops may be fired. However, if the president-elect follows through on his promises — especially on a larger scale — they could have a disruptive effect on military operations.
A mass firing would be necessary with the promotion of many new leaders, some of whom may lack the experience of their predecessors. Several national security experts also told Vox they are concerned about the message of the mass shooting — including the idea that military officials must express political views aligned with Trump’s in order to keep their jobs.
Trump has the means to “fire” generals
Trump can get rid of top generals in two ways.
The first is to issue a clear call to resign. The second is the removal of a military leader from office. For example, three- and four-star generals, the highest rank an officer can attain, earn that rank because they are given an assignment — such as being named chief of staff of a military branch — and have the responsibilities associated with it. If that assignment is revoked, they will revert to the two-star rank. Typically, leaders who lose a job retire, military experts note.
Because individuals retain their titles and benefits after retirement. Those who retire at higher positions receive thousands more in retirement pay than those who return to lower positions. So, a three-star general about to lose their assignment will likely retire to retain better retirement benefits than a two-star general.
“If your chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff or some other senior military leader holds a certain position of command or responsibility, the president can pretty much relieve them of a vague sense that they’ve lost confidence in their ability to lead,” Victor Hansen, a New England Law School professor and former Army Judge Advocate General, told Vox.
Experts told Vox that generals have little chance to appeal the decision to remove them from their assignments. And since military officers work in what is often described as “President’s pleasure“Congress can’t do much to intervene outside of hearings to raise awareness of potential staffing changes.
In the less likely scenario that a general decides not to retire from the military—and prefers to return to a lower rank—the president may attempt to expel them from the armed services entirely, if he wants to expel them from the military entirely. . But the process of doing this is more complicated.
In the 186sCongress authorized legislation that limits a president’s ability to completely dismiss someone from the military. Under this principle, The person in question must either face the penalty of removal by court-martial, have a court-martial sentence reduced, or be dismissed by the President for wartime.
Because the policy is relatively vague — including what it defines as “wartime” — the president still has significant leeway to terminate individuals, but any attempt to do so could face court challenges.
If Trump removes senior military leaders, he cannot replace them himself. Nominations of new generals of three- and four-star status require Senate confirmation.
Any attempt to follow through on these promises would set a disturbing new precedent
There are past examples of presidents firing generals, though not the kind of wholesale purge Trump has hinted at.
Before that, President Harry Truman Dismissed General Douglas MacArthur They had disagreements over the conduct of the Korean War. President Barack Obama too Dismissed General Stanley McChrystal After making disparaging comments about Obama’s views on the war in Afghanistan and criticizing other members of the White House.
Trump’s plans will be unique because they are not based on the general’s specific approach to military conflict and will be more tied to their perceived political ideology, something Republicans tend to be more inclined to do. Negative views of diversity, equity and inclusion Initiative than Democrats. A possible shooting opportunity may also change his view.
Some military experts warn that launching a mass shooting could create the very problem Trump’s allies say they are trying to solve: that removing so many leaders at once could hurt readiness.
“It will be very disruptive,” Hansen told Vox. “There are ongoing operational combatant commanders. They are now in concentrations all over the world.”
And other national security experts told Vox that forcing military leaders to take a particular view on diversity could be seen as a test of Trump’s personal loyalty. Given his stated position.
“There is a fear that these processes will be distorted by an administration bent on retaliation, retaliation and vetting officials based on tests of loyalty to the president and loyalty to the Constitution,” said Southwestern Law School professor Rachel VanLandingham, a former active-duty Air Force veteran. Judge Advocate. “That’s how we become an authoritarian state when you have the most powerful military in the world swearing … not to their Constitution and the American people, but to an individual.”
