Donald Trump may form board to remove ‘woke generals’ from US military

As commander in chief, Donald Trump can fire any officer at will

US President-elect Donald Trump’s Team is considering forming a “warrior board” to review senior officers in the military and weed out “woke generals”, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.

According to a draft of the order reviewed by WSJ, if Trump approves the order, it could fast-track the removal of generals and admirals found to be “lacking in requisite leadership qualities”.

As commander in chief, Trump can fire any officer at will, but an outside board whose members he appoints would bypass the Pentagon’s regular promotion system.

The draft order stated it aims to establish a review that focuses “on leadership capability, strategic readiness, and commitment to military excellence”. “The draft doesn’t specify what officers need to do or present to show if they meet those standards. The draft order originated with one of several outside policy groups collaborating with the transition team and is one of numerous executive orders under review by Trump’s team,” a transition official told WSJ.

Karoline Leavitt, the Trump-Vance Transition spokeswoman, declined to comment on this draft executive order. She, however, told WSJ that “the American people re-elected President Trump by a resounding margin giving him a mandate to implement the promises he made on the campaign trail. He will deliver.”

The WSJ reported that the move can impact Air Force Gen. CQ Brown Jr., the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. During the 2020 George Floyd protests, Brown spoke about the impact that movement had on him and what it was like to rise through the military ranks as a Black fighter pilot.

The board would be in line with Trump’s calls for purging what he views as failed generals, including those involved in the chaotic 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, according to people familiar with the policy discussions.

Trump has said he would ask all generals involved in the withdrawal to resign by “noon on Inauguration Day”, as per the WSJ report.

He previewed the move during a campaign event in October, telling an audience that he would create a task force to monitor the “woke generals” and get rid of diversity training in the military. “They’re gone,” Trump said of those generals, without naming specific officers.