Five former defense secretaries, including James Mattis and Leon Panetta, have issued a scathing letter condemning President Donald Trump's recent firings of top military officials. The letter, published on Thursday, called for immediate congressional hearings to investigate the dismissals of Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. CQ Brown and other senior officers.
The defense secretaries accused Trump of undermining national security and attempting to politicize the U.S. military by dismissing key leaders. They urged senators to block any new Department of Defense nominations in response to the firings.
Trump's decision to remove General C.Q. Brown, only the second Black officer to serve as Joint Chiefs chairman, raised concerns about the administration's motives. The former defense secretaries expressed worry that the firings could dissuade individuals from pursuing military careers and hinder the ability of military personnel to speak truth to power.
The letter emphasized the need for Congress to hold Trump accountable for what they deemed as reckless actions and to fulfill its constitutional oversight responsibilities. The defense secretaries called for a thorough assessment of the national security implications of the dismissals.
The firings, which also included the first female officer to lead a military service, Admiral Lisa Franchetti, have sparked bipartisan criticism and raised questions about the administration's intentions regarding the military's independence from partisan politics.
