Hegseth: Judge Advocate General Firings To Remove “Roadblocks” At The Pentagon
United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said Sunday that the dismissals of the top lawyers of the Army, Air Force and the Navy were intended to remove “roadblocks” at the Pentagon.
In an appearance on Fox News Sunday, Hegseth dismissed comments by Georgetown University law professor Rosa Brooks read by host Shannon Bream on the firing of the Judge Advocate Generals for the three services as “hyperbole”. “Ultimately, we want lawyers who give sound constitutional advice and don’t exist to attempt to be roadblocks to anything that happens in their spots”.
Hegseth responded:
“Traditionally they have been elected by each other or chosen by each other, which is exactly how it works often with the Chairmen (of the Joint Chiefs of Staff) as well, small groups of insulated officers who perpetuate the status quo. Guess what, the status quo hasn’t worked very well at the Pentagon. It’s time for fresh blood, so we’re going to open up those positions to a broader set in a merit based process to find the best lawyers possible to lead the Army, the Air Force and the Navy.
There is nothing about purging, there is nothing about it illegal, we made it clear from the beginning, Shannon, the military will be apolitical with a fidelity to the constitution, prepared to close with and destroy our enemies.”
His comments were the first made since the Trump administration announced the firings on Friday evening, alongside the dismissal of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force General C.Q. Brown, Chief of Naval Operations Lisa Franchetti and Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James Slife.
The Trump administration has nominated retired Air Force Lt. Gen. John Caine to replace Gen. Brown as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Hegseth said that Caine was qualified for the role, citing his role in the campaign against the Islamic State.
Hegseth dismissed criticism of the dismissals as “hyperbole”, insisting the president had the right to select his national security team and that Trump wanted “the right people around him to execute the national security approach we want to take”
He also denied that there was a list of senior military officials to be dismissed, but said he was keeping a “keen eye” on senior officials’ “willingness to follow lawful orders”, insisting that his moves were in keeping with military norms and the constitution.