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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Guardian staff and agencies

Trump fires Black joint chiefs chair Hegseth accused of promoting diversity

Man
CQ Brown Jr (left) and Peter Hegseth at the Pentagon in Washington DC, on 27 January 2025. Photograph: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

Donald Trump abruptly fired the air force general CQ Brown Jr as chair of the joint chiefs of staff on Friday, sidelining a history-making Black fighter pilot and respected officer as part of a campaign to purge the military of leaders who support diversity and equity in the ranks.

The ouster of the second Black general to serve as chair of the joint chiefs comes three months after Pete Hegseth, the secretary of defense, outlined a plan for ridding the US military of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts during a podcast interview.

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