Hegseth directs 20% cut to top U.S. military leadership positions

Defense Secretary Hegseth orders 20% cut in four-star generals, sparking concerns of politicization in the military.

U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday (May 5, 2025) directed the active duty military to shed 20% of its four-star general officers as the Trump administration moves forward with deep cuts that it says will promote efficiency but that critics worry could result in a more politicised force.

Mr. Hegseth also told the National Guard to shed 20% of its top positions and directed the military to cut an additional 10% of its general and flag officers across the force, which could include any one-star or above or officer of equivalent Navy rank.

The cuts are on top of more than a half-dozen top general officers that President Donald Trump or Mr. Hegseth have fired since January, including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. CQ Brown Jr. They also have fired the only two women serving as four-star officers, as well as a disproportionate number of other senior female officers.

In the earlier rounds of firing, Hegseth said the eliminations were “a reflection of the president wanting the right people around him to execute the national security approach we want to take.” As Pentagon chief, Mr. Hegseth has touted his efforts to root out any programming or leadership that endorses diversity in the ranks, tried to terminate transgender service members and begun sweeping changes to enforce a uniform fitness standard for combat positions.

In a memo announcing the cuts Monday, Hegseth said they would remove “redundant force structure to optimise and streamline leadership.” He said the aim was to free the military from “unnecessary bureaucratic layers.” Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., a Marine who served in Iraq and is now on the House Armed Services Committee, said he sees Hegseth's actions as trying to politicize the military.

“He's creating a formal framework to fire all the generals who disagree with him — and the president,” Mr. Moulton told AP at the Capitol.

He said certainly any organisation can look for efficiencies but Mr. Hegseth has long been explicit about his agenda. “He wrote a book about it. He wants to politicize the military,” Mr. Moulton said. "So it's hard to see these cuts in any other context.” Mr. Moulton warned of fallout for the troops. “It is essential that our troops understand they are getting constitutional orders, not political orders,” he said, “because otherwise you don't have a democracy, otherwise you have a military that just works well for one political party or another.” Adding to the turmoil in the Pentagon, Mr. Hegseth in recent weeks has dismissed or transferred multiple close advisers, tightly narrowing his inner circle. He also has been facing questions from both Democrats and Republicans about his handling of sensitive information and use of the Signal messaging app.