Charles Q. Brown Jr. - Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

On 21 February 2025, Donald Trump made an unprecedented gesture by removing Charles Q. Brown Jr., the top military advisor to the Potus and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the collegial body that brings together the top leadership of the US military and serves as the highest military advisory body to the president, the secretary of defence and the National Security Council. The decision was officially motivated by the need for a change in leadership, but was read by many as a direct attack on the autonomy of the armed forces. Brown, the first African-American to hold the post, had been appointed by Biden and had maintained a strict institutional profile. Trump replaced him with General Dan 'Razin' Caine, a figure closer to the administration's positions. The removal caused a huge uproar in the US and abroad because rarely does a president intervene so drastically in the military chain of command. Concerns about the politicisation of the leadership have spread in the Pentagon. Some Republican senators defended the choice, speaking of the need for a 'cultural change', while Democrats denounced an unprecedented attack on the independence of the military leadership. NATO expressed concern about the stability of the US command. Brown left office with sober statements, thanking the armed forces for their commitment.