Kaine Statement on Firing of Senior Military Officers and Department of Defense Employees

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement on President Donald Trump’s dismissal of senior military officers, including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General C.Q. Brown, Jr., Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Lisa Franchetti, and Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force General James C. Slife, and the Department of Defense’s (DOD) announcement that it will fire at least 5,400 DOD civilian employees and reduce the DOD civilian workforce by 5-8%:

“Instead of focusing on steps to ensure our military remains the most lethal in the world in the face of global threats, including from China, President Trump and Secretary Hegseth are taking steps that make Americans less safe. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Brown, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Franchetti, Air Force Vice Chief of Staff General Slife, and other senior military officers—who have served under presidents of both parties—were fired without cause out of pure pettiness. Further, Hegseth’s decision to conduct unanalyzed, indiscriminate cuts to the DOD civilian employee population by five to eight percent will undermine the civil servants that keep our military ready and our country safe for years to come. If my Republican colleagues really want to prioritize readiness and lethality, they’ll press Trump and Hegseth to reverse course on these ridiculous firings and focus on real issues.”

###