Trump administration removes top military leaders in sweeping shake-up

The Trump administration has dismissed multiple senior military leaders, including Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti, Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James C. Slife, and the top uniformed legal officers for the Army, Navy, and Air Force. The removals, announced by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday, come as the administration seeks to reshape military leadership with a focus on warfighting and deterrence, as reported by the New York Times.

Franchetti, the first woman to serve as Chief of Naval Operations, was relieved of duty the same day President Trump fired Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Hegseth thanked both Franchetti and Slife for their service, but offered no explanation for their removals.

These firings mark a rare instance of a US president removing multiple high-ranking officers at once. The administration has not yet announced their replacements.