Lawmakers warn Hegseth against political firings of generals

A bipartisan group of House lawmakers is petitioning Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for more transparency in any future decisions involving the dismissal of senior uniformed leaders, saying the process must avoid political undertones to preserve the sanctity of the military.

In a letter to Hegseth on Friday, the representatives asked for details on the process by which any general or flag officers are being evaluated for removal, what factors will be considered and legal justification for such moves.

“There are valid reasons to remove a general or flag officer, but there must be clear, transparent and apolitical criteria and processes associated with any such dismissal,” they wrote.

“[The officers] are patriots who have dedicated their lives to the defense of the United States. … They take seriously their charge to carry out the political will of the people and to provide their best professional military advice in furtherance of those objectives in accordance with the laws of armed conflict.”

The letter was signed by Republican Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska and Democratic Reps. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania, Jason Crow of Colorado, Mikie Sherill of New Jersey and Jared Golden of Maine. All of the signers are members of the House Armed Services Committee.

The message was prompted by rumors this week that Hegseth is moving to fire multiple senior military leaders because of concerns about their lack of loyalty to President Donald Trump. Lists of possible targets being circulated in news reports include Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. CQ Brown, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George.

Hegseth and White House officials have not commented publicly on the possibility of military leadership firings. In media interviews before his nomination to the Defense Secretary post, Hegseth was critical of many uniformed leaders, including Brown, for their support of diversity and inclusion programs in the military.

The lawmakers said in their letter that keeping the military apolitical is “an essential component of our democracy and national security.”

Brown’s four-year term as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is scheduled to end in 2027. Dismissing a military officer from the post ahead of the end of the term is unusual, though not unprecedented.

Similarly, the top uniformed leaders at each of the services are occasionally rotated out of those spots ahead of the scheduled ends of their appointed terms, but typically for other assignments and not political reasons.