Pete Hegseth, the American Secretary of Defense, close to Donald Trump and highly involved in the Middle East war, secured the immediate departure of the Army Chief of Staff, Randy George. Appointed in 2023 by Joe Biden, George was initially expected to remain in office until 2027.
This high-ranking officer, who had served in Iraq and Afghanistan, “will leave his position as the 41st Chief of Staff of the Army, with immediate effect,” wrote Sean Parnell, the Pentagon spokesperson, wishing him “a beautiful retirement,” without specifying the reason for this sudden departure.
The Republican presidency is already considering replacing him with General Christopher LaNeve, who aligns more with Donald Trump’s desired vision for the military.
This is just one more forced departure among the highest-ranking officials of the American military since Donald Trump returned to power. In early 2025, without explanation, President Trump dismissed Charles “CQ” Brown, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and replaced him with Dan Caine.
Since then, the Navy, the Coast Guard, the NSA spying agency chiefs, and many others have been pushed out by the Trump administration.
Pete Hegseth, heading a ministry renamed “Ministry of War,” has affirmed that he simply chooses the leaders he wants to run the world’s largest military budget.
Opposition Democratic lawmakers have expressed concerns about a potential politicization of the military, which traditionally remains more insulated from political battles than the rest of the American government apparatus.
