Members of US President-elect Donald Trump’s team are compiling a list of military officers who will be fired, according to Reuters.
An unprecedented reshuffle at the Pentagon could change as the Trump administration takes shape. In the past, the Republican leader has actively criticised defence chiefs during a campaign of firing “woke” generals and those responsible for the troubled withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. A second source said the new administration is likely to focus on US officers associated with Mark Milley, Trump’s former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Every single person that was elevated and appointed by Milley will be gone. There’s a very detailed list of everybody that was affiliated with Milley. And they will all be gone.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff is made up of the top officers of the US military, as well as the heads of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, National Guard and Space Force.
Pete Hegseth, Trump’s choice as his defence secretary, has also targeted Milley’s successor, Air Force General C.Q. Brown. However, some current and former US officials deny the possibility of such a major change, saying it would be unnecessary and disruptive at a time of global turmoil, with wars raging in Ukraine and the Middle East.
Trump visited Biden at White House
Trump and President Joe Biden met at the White House and discussed the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East on Wednesday despite deep differences, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said.
They discussed important national security and domestic policy issues facing the nation and the world. It was indeed very cordial, very gracious, and substantive.
Biden argued that supporting Ukraine was good for US national security because a strong and stable Europe would prevent America from being drawn into a war. Trump, in turn, promised to quickly put an end to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, but did not specify how to do it.
Meanwhile, Edison Research predicted that Republicans would have a majority in the House of Representatives. This means that Trump’s party will control both houses of Congress. Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk also joined Trump in meeting with Republican lawmakers.
The White House said Trump’s team, which announced some of the new president’s cabinet members, has yet to sign agreements that will lead to office space and government equipment.
Trump assembles his team
Trump’s team is led by two billionaires, Howard Lutnick, CEO of financial firm Cantor Fitzgerald, and Linda McMahon, chairman of the board of directors of America First Policy Institute and former head of the Small Business Association. McMahon is working on political strategy, while Lutnick is recruiting people for the future administration.
Robert Kennedy Jr., an independent presidential candidate, has an honoured place on the “transition team.” Another Trump ally who has joined his party is former Democratic member of the House of Representatives Tulsi Gabbard. However, a key role in shaping the future administration is likely to be played by Trump’s two eldest sons, Eric and Donald. It was Donald Trump Jr. who convinced his father to choose J.D. Vance as his running mate.
Trump nominated Fox News host Pete Hegseth, a National Guard veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, as US defence secretary. Florida Congressman Mike Waltz will become US National Security Advisor. Trump also appointed US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Thomas Homan to be in charge of US immigration policy and border security.
The Republican appointed Elon Musk to reform the administration. The Federal Trade Commission may be headed by Vance adviser Gail Slater or the department’s current commissioner, Mellisa Holyoak. North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum is likely to become the head of the Department of Energy.
