Washington Trembles with Trump and Hegset's Anger: Who Else Do They Want to Deal With 0 14

Purges have begun in the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. Recently, Attorney General Pam Bondi left her position. Following her, as reported by American media, some other high-ranking officials may follow suit. A major purge has also started in the Pentagon. According to leaks, the departure of FBI Director Kash Patel, Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll, and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer is also being discussed.

The President is Unhappy

Initially, during his second presidential term, Donald Trump was reluctant to fire any of his top aides, acting either in favor of democracy or in favor of the media. However, there were still dismissals. For example, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz lost his position after a scandal involving a chat in the unsecured messenger Signal, where strikes against the Houthis were discussed and where the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic was accidentally added.

In addition, Trump fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. This occurred against the backdrop of controversial raids by the immigration police ICE and clashes with protesters in Minnesota, during which two U.S. citizens were killed. However, both of the president's supporters remained in the government; Noem received the position of special envoy in the "Shield of America" initiative, while Waltz became the U.S. representative to the UN.

Until recently, there was an unwritten rule in the administration that no one would leave their post until the midterm elections. But the war with Iran changed the political landscape: support for the American leader's initiatives among citizens began to rapidly decline.

One source close to the White House told The Atlantic that Trump liked the response from Americans to his decision to fire Noem. He decided to repeat this with Attorney General Pam Bondi, whose duties will be temporarily performed by her deputy Todd Blanche. However, unlike Waltz and Noem, she is leaving for an unknown "new job in the private sector."

The reason for Bondi's downfall was the work of her department on the "Epstein case." A few months ago, the attorney general reported that she had a "client list" of the businessman accused of sex trafficking minors on her desk. Subsequently, she hastily clarified that this was said for effect and that no such list actually exists.

However, the publication of files did not particularly satisfy either the media or the public. Moreover, the documents were not released on time. Additionally, some files that would have identified Epstein's victims were removed from the archives. Bondi's emotional speech in Congress only worsened the situation. Had she remained close to Trump, she would have become too toxic an asset for him. The president had to hastily get rid of her.

Moreover, the American leader, as reported by U.S. media, was dissatisfied that Bondi, although she demonstrated loyalty to the president, did not actively pursue the criminal prosecution of his opponents as a minister.

Purges in the Pentagon

Meanwhile, Pentagon chief Pete Hegset demanded the immediate resignation of Army Chief of Staff General Randy George. The Department of Defense stated that they were grateful for his service, but "the time has come for new leadership in the army." They want someone in this position who will "embody President Trump's vision," the Secretary of War stated.

George was appointed by former U.S. President Joseph Biden in 2023, and his nomination was approved by the Senate. Typically, the Army Chief of Staff is changed every four years, but this time the American authorities did not wait for the end of his term.

In addition, Hegset blocked the promotion of two female officers and two African Americans who were to be awarded general ranks. He also removed Colonel Dave Butler from the promotion lists, who worked under former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley — Donald Trump accused him of treason and suggested execution.

During the first months of Hegset's tenure, he fired the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, African American General Charles Brown, female commanders of the Navy and Coast Guard Lisa Franchetti and Linda Fagan, as well as General Jennifer Short, Navy Reserve Chief Nancy Lacore, and Vice Admiral Shoshana Chatfield.

Furthermore, the Pentagon chief initiated a large-scale reform of the officer selection system for promotions and appointments to leadership positions, calling for the closure of the program that ensures all officers, regardless of race or gender, equal opportunity to compete for top positions.

A Long List

As reported by American media, the next in line to leave Trump's administration may be FBI Director Kash Patel. There are also "active discussions" regarding the possible departure of Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, who is close to U.S. Vice President Jay D. Vance, and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer.

It is clarified that the president himself has not yet made a final decision regarding possible dismissals.

However, some of Trump's supporters have begun to turn away from him. Earlier, Joe Kent, the director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center, announced his resignation, a protégé of the head of the Office of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. He stated that he could not support the ongoing conflict with Iran.

In the official's opinion, Washington was drawn into this war due to misinformation and he called Israel's influence on U.S. policy a "disservice," as its data simply does not correspond to reality.

Not everything is so straightforward with Tulsi Gabbard herself. Recently, there were reports that the U.S. president is allegedly considering her possible dismissal from the position of director of national intelligence after she did not condemn the resigned Kent.