Half of Pentagon generals and senior officers likely to be fired

The CNN report states: Hegseth has put this action on the agenda as part of his effort to purge the Pentagon of senior leaders who appear to be too political or close to former US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

According to the CNN report, rumors about these imminent dismissals have been circulating for weeks, and one of the sources of the news agency stated that the official list of those who may be fired has recently been made available to Republican lawmakers.

The CNN report adds: The list includes the names of Charles Q. Brown, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Lisa Franchetti, the current chief of US Naval Operations.

According to the CNN report, these possible dismissals could add to the turmoil in the Pentagon, especially in a situation where the US Department of Defense is under pressure from budget and workforce reductions.

The CNN report states: Some US Department of Defense officials who are responsible for preparing the list of civilian employees who are to be dismissed are concerned that these dismissals will harm the US military readiness.

The Washington Post newspaper previously wrote in a report: US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has ordered a review of the 2026 budget of the department with the aim of saving and reducing Pentagon costs.

The Washington Post reported that Hegseth has ordered senior Defense Department officials to plan a budget cut that would cut Pentagon spending by 8 percent annually, cutting $290 billion over the next five years.