Five former secretaries of defense have urged Congress to immediately hold hearings regarding President Donald Trump’s recent dismissals of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and several other high-ranking military officials, according to a letter obtained by The Associated Press.
Spanning Republican and Democratic administrations over the past three decades, the five former defense chiefs expressed deep concern over the firings, stating that they raised “troubling questions about the administration’s desire to politicize the military” and effectively removed legal checks on the president’s authority.
Late last week, Trump dismissed Air Force Gen. CQ Brown Jr. from his role as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Shortly after, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth proceeded to remove Adm. Lisa Franchetti, chief of naval operations; Gen. Jim Slife, vice chief of the Air Force; and the judge advocates general (JAGs) for the military branches.
Hegseth defended Brown’s removal, asserting that past presidents had also made personnel changes within the military and that Trump was entitled to select his own team.
He further explained that he fired the top military lawyers because he felt they were not “well-suited” to provide recommendations when lawful orders were issued.
The letter—signed by William Perry, Leon Panetta, Chuck Hagel, Jim Mattis, and Lloyd Austin—argued that the dismissals lacked legitimate justification, as several of the affected officers had previously been nominated by Trump for their roles. It also highlighted their distinguished service records, including extensive operational and combat experience.
“We, like many Americans—including many troops—are therefore left to conclude that these leaders are being fired for purely partisan reasons,” the letter stated. It further emphasized, “We’re not asking members of Congress to do us a favor; we’re asking them to do their jobs.”
Defense Chief Recently Fired By Trump Administration
The former secretaries also urged the Senate to withhold confirmation of any new Pentagon nominees, including retired Lt. Gen. Dan Caine, whom Trump has proposed as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Trump’s selection of Caine is unconventional. While he is widely respected within the military, he would need to return to active duty and does not currently meet the legal criteria for the position.
By law, the chairman must have previously served as a combatant commander or service chief, though the president has the authority to waive this requirement.
Among the five signatories, Hagel is a Republican, while Mattis, an independent, previously served as Trump’s first defense secretary. The remaining three are Democrats. Four of the five have military backgrounds, with two—Mattis and Austin—having held four-star general status.
“The House and Senate should demand that the administration justify each firing and fully explain why it violated Congress’ legislative intent that the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff complete a four-year term in office,” the letter asserted.
Brown, who was appointed to a four-year term, had served for just under 17 months before his removal.
While three-star and four-star officers have been dismissed in previous decades, Pentagon officials have traditionally provided clear explanations for such removals.
Past justifications have included disagreements over the handling of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, failures in overseeing America’s nuclear arsenal, and public criticism of the president or other senior leaders.
