Former defense ministers ask Congress to hold Trump accountable for firing Pentagon chiefs
Kyiv • UNN
Five former U.S. defense secretaries have called on Congress to investigate Trump's massive firings of military leaders. Among those fired are the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and other high-ranking military officials.
Five former defense ministers condemned US President Donald Trump's firing of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and several other senior military officials. They called on Congress to hold hearings and hold Trump accountable. This was reported by the Washington Post, according to UNN.
Details
The public appeal was signed by Lloyd Austin, Jim Mattis, Chuck Hagel, Leon Panetta, and William Perry, who served since the 1990s.
We are deeply concerned about President Trump's recent firings of several senior U.S. military leaders. We call on the U.S. Congress to hold Mr. Trump accountable for these reckless actions and to fully exercise its constitutional oversight responsibilities,
Among those dismissed are General Charles C. Brown Jr, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Admiral Lisa Franchetti, Chief of the Navy; General James Slife, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Air Force; and leading military lawyers from the Army, Navy and Air Force.
Current Secretary Pete Hegseth also fired his senior military aide, Air Force Lieutenant General Jennifer Short. The day after Trump's inauguration, the head of the Coast Guard, Admiral Linda Fagan, was fired.
The Trump administration has tried to downplay the significance of these dismissals, noting that previous presidents have also fired prominent generals. However, these dismissals usually had a direct cause.
The President did not provide any justification for his actions, despite the fact that he had appointed these officers to their previous positions and the Senate had confirmed them. The exemplary operational and combat experience of these officers... make it clear that none of this was related to the conduct of hostilities,
Recall
Earlier, the Pentagon temporarily postponed mass layoffs of probationary employees as they continue to study the potential impact on the readiness and operations of the US Department of Defense around the world. The Defense Department did not expect to make any decision while the impact assessment continues, and it is unclear how long the delay may take.
