Democratic lawmakers and retired military officers expressed concern about the politicization of the military under President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

This comes as the Trump Administration seeks to rid the military of leaders who support diversity and equity in ranks.

The Trump administration purged top military brass, firing Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Chief of Naval Operations Lisa Franchetti, Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force James Slice.

Trump will nominate retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine to serve as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, which will require Senate confirmation.

The abrupt firing of Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. and six other Pentagon leaders has drawn fierce criticism from Democrats and military experts.

Trump announced the dismissal of Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. and said he would nominate Lt. Gen. Dan Caine, a retired three-star general, to succeed him as the top U.S. military officer.

President Trump has fired Air Force Gen. CQ Brown Jr., a four-star pilot, and named Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine to be the country’s next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. “I

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (right) is defending President Donald Trump's decision to fire Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The two are shown after arriving at the Pentagon, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025 in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said President Trump ‘s abrupt firing of the nation’s senior military officer amid a wave of dismissals at the Pentagon wasn’t unusual.