REUTERS/Marco Bello
The editorial board of the Wall Street Journal has issued a stark warning to former President Donald Trump over his rumored plan to overhaul the U.S. military’s senior leadership. Responding to a recently leaked draft executive order, the editors expressed concern about Trump’s alleged intentions to remove senior officers based on ideological disagreements and his nomination of Fox News personality Pete Hegseth to lead the Department of Defense.
The editorial highlights that Trump’s apparent plan to create a panel of former officers to evaluate the “fitness” of current generals risks politicizing the armed forces. “The military isn’t Mr. Trump’s enemy, and a purge mentality will court political trouble and demoralize the ranks,” the board cautioned, emphasizing that such an approach could undermine military morale and alienate skilled leaders.
Another concern raised in the editorial involves Trump’s well-documented tension with senior military figures, particularly former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley. The Journal advises Trump to avoid making Milley’s criticism a basis for future personnel decisions, warning that retaliation could do more harm than good. “Firing Chairman of the Joint Chiefs CQ Brown would also be counterproductive,” the editors argued.
“Mr. Trump is still furious about former Chairman Mark Milley’s criticisms, and not without cause, but Mr. Trump promoted Gen. Milley. The better path is to look for officers who understand the current global dangers and have good ideas for what to do about it. Adm. Sam Paparo of the U.S. Indo-Pacific command is one.”
The editorial board also questioned Hegseth’s apparent focus on removing “woke” elements from the armed forces, which they say is distracting from larger security priorities. “In the context of America’s security challenges, wokeness is a small concern,” they wrote, suggesting that any reforms should address pressing global threats rather than ideological divisions.
By cautioning against a drastic reorganization of military leadership, the Journal emphasizes the importance of continuity and expertise within the ranks to handle complex geopolitical challenges. The board’s warning reflects broader concerns among defense analysts and military experts that purges based on political grievances could compromise the U.S. military’s cohesion and operational focus in an increasingly tense global landscape.
