Anyone at the Defense Department who doesn’t follow orders “will find the door,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told “Fox News Sunday.”
Hegseth noted that, although there are no specific “lists” of anyone who is getting fired by President Trump, deciding not to follow orders would warrant that.
“There’s no list, [“Fox News Sunday” host] Shannon [Bream]. I’ve heard that. I’ve seen that very rumor. Although, we have a very keen eye toward military leadership and their willingness to follow lawful orders,” Hegseth said. “This is all about defending the Constitution. Joe Biden gave lawful orders. A lot of them are really bad. And it’s unfortunate how they eroded our military. Ideological. COVID mandates."
“President Trump has given another set of lawful orders. And they will be followed," Hegseth added. "If they’re not followed, and all these orders are in keeping with the Constitution and norms inside the military. If they’re not followed, then those officers will find the door."
“And that’s not a tough calculation. We feel really good about the direction the Pentagon is headed under President Trump. We’re going to focus on warfighting and lethality and accountability. And be the most transparent Pentagon that folks have seen in a long time, which is why I explain these things on a regular basis,” Hegseth said.
This comes days after Trump fired the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., who had been nominated by President Biden in 2023. On Friday, Trump announced on Truth Social that Brown was being replaced by Air Force Lieutenant General Dan “Razin” Caine.
In his post, Trump called Brown “a fine gentleman and an outstanding leader” and thanked him for his over 40 years of service to the country.
During Trump’s first term, Caine “was instrumental in the complete annihilation of the ISIS caliphate. It was done in record setting time, a matter of weeks. Many so-called military 'geniuses' said it would take years to defeat ISIS. General Caine, on the other hand, said it could be done quickly, and he delivered,” Trump said.