Trump removes Gen. Brown as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, announces nominee to replace him

President Donald Trump has removed Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown from his post as chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff and will nominate former Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan Caine to replace him.

Trump announced the moves in a post on Truth Social Friday night.

“I want to thank General Charles ‘CQ’ Brown for his over 40 years of service to our country, including as our current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He is a fine gentleman and an outstanding leader, and I wish a great future for him and his family,” Trump wrote.

He praised Caine as “an accomplished pilot, national security expert, successful entrepreneur, and a ‘warfighter’ with significant interagency and special operations experience.”

“Alongside Secretary Pete Hegseth, General Caine and our military will restore peace through strength, put America First, and rebuild our military,” Trump added.

In recent years, Brown has been one the most prominent voices in the U.S. military advocating for modernization initiatives.

During Trump’s first term, he nominated Brown to serve as Air Force chief of staff, the service’s top military post.

As Air Force chief, Brown issued his “Accelerate Change or Lose” manifesto, emphasizing the importance of advancing the Air Force’s technological capabilities in order to deter U.S. adversaries.

In 2023, President Joe Biden nominated him to be chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the U.S. military’s top officer.

During Brown’s confirmation process for that position, he said he intended to keep his foot on the gas for Pentagon modernization efforts.

The Defense Department “should focus investments on advanced technologies, such as cyber defense, space-based assets, and unmanned systems, that can help maintain a competitive edge,” he wrote in response to questions from senators.

Members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff generally serve four-year terms, and it’s rare for them to be replaced mid-tenure.

However, Brown’s firing was not totally unexpected. His name was reportedly on a circulated list of officers that the Trump administration was considering sacking for being associated with diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives or for other reasons.

In 2020, after the police killing of George Floyd, Brown released a video discussing race relations in America and his experience as an African American officer in the U.S. Air Force.

Before he was confirmed as secretary of defense, Hegseth suggested on the Shawn Ryan Show that Brown should be fired.

In a statement Friday night, Hegseth said that Brown “has served with distinction in a career spanning four decades of honorable service. I have come to know him as a thoughtful adviser and salute him for his distinguished service to our country.”

He also stated that Caine “embodies the warfighter ethos and is exactly the leader we need to meet the moment. I look forward to working with him.”

A defense official said Brown doesn’t intend to provide a statement about his firing.

Meanwhile, Trump is also firing Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti and Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James Slife, and the administration is looking for new nominees for Judge Advocates General for the Army, Navy and Air Force, Hegseth announced.

“Under President Trump, we are putting in place new leadership that will focus our military on its core mission of deterring, fighting and winning wars,” Hegseth said.