In a sudden decision, U.S. President Donald Trump has dismissed Air Force General CQ Brown from his role as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The move comes as part of his ongoing efforts to remove federal employees appointed under the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiative.

Posting on Truth Social, the 78-year-old president expressed gratitude for Brown’s service to the country and described him as a "fine gentleman."

"I want to thank General Charles 'CQ' Brown for his over 40 years of service to our country, including as our current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He is a fine gentleman and an outstanding leader, and I wish a great future for him and his family," Penned Trump on social media.

The U.S. President announced his intention to nominate retired Air Force Lieutenant General Dan 'Razin' Caine as Brown’s successor. A former F-16 pilot, Caine served as the associate director of military affairs at the CIA until late last year.

Trump, 78, criticised "sleepy Joe Biden" for overlooking Caine’s promotion. "Despite being highly qualified and respected to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the previous administration, General Caine was passed over for promotion by Sleepy Joe Biden. But not anymore! Alongside Secretary Pete Hegseth, General Caine and our military will restore peace through strength, put America First, and rebuild our military."

Trump also announced that five other top positions in the U.S. military would be replaced in the coming days, signalling an unprecedented shake-up in leadership. The removal of General Charles Q. Brown Jr. is the latest in a series of high-profile dismissals as Trump moves to align the federal government more closely with his agenda and policies.

Brown was only the second Black general to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He held the position for 16 months of his four-year term, during which he played a key role in handling the Russia-Ukraine war and the escalating conflicts in the Middle East. His dismissal is also linked to a push led by Trump’s Defence Secretary, Pete Hegseth, who, in a November podcast, openly criticised Brown, stating, "First of all... you gotta fire the chairman of Joint Chiefs."

In one of his books, Hegseth doubted whether Brown was appointed to the top position due to his race. "Was it because of his skin colour? Or his skill? We'll never know, but always doubt — which on its face seems unfair to CQ. But since he has made the race card one of his biggest calling cards, it doesn’t really much matter," the Defence Secretary penned.

Brown became a primary target of the Trump administration’s crackdown on "wokeism" in the U.S. military, mainly after he publicly supported the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020 following George Floyd’s death. His nomination was among those blocked for months by Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama before finally being confirmed in September 2023. His appointment was historic, making it the first time the Defence Secretary, Lloyd Austin, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman were Black. Previously, Colin Powell had been the first Black Joint Chiefs chairman, serving from 1989 to 1993.

Brown’s removal by Trump was a surprise, especially considering their seemingly friendly interaction in December 2024 when they sat next to each other at the Army-Navy football game.

Additionally, on his first day as Defence Secretary on January 27, Hegseth dismissed speculation about firing Brown. When asked directly, he patted Brown on the back and said, "I am standing with him right now. Look forward to working with him."

In addition to Brown, former President Donald Trump dismissed Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the head of the U.S. Navy and the first woman to lead a military branch, and General Jim Slife, the Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force. Franchetti became the second high-ranking female military officer to be removed by Trump, following the dismissal of Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Linda Fagan just a day after he took office.