The Daily Populous Sunday October 5th, 2025 night edition
Authored by theguardian.com and submitted by tw1st3d_m3nt4t

Pete Hegseth, the US defense secretary, abruptly fired the navy chief of staff on Friday, removing an aide who had been key to the Trump administration’s efforts to reshape the Pentagon.

Jon Harrison, who was appointed in January, had been key to broad changes made to the navy’s policy and budgeting offices. Together with John Phelan, a Trump mega-donor who was confirmed as navy secretary in March, Harrison had reportedly sought to limit the influence of the navy undersecretary, who typically has a key role in managing that military branch’s budget.

The Pentagon confirmed Harrison’s departure in a statement to Politico, which first reported it.

“He will no longer serve as Chief of Staff to the Secretary of the Navy,” it said. “We are grateful for his service to the Department.”

Harrison’s firing comes days after Hung Cao, a former naval officer who ran for Senate as a Republican last year, was confirmed as navy undersecretary.

Politico previously reported that Harrison and Phelan, who had no prior military experience before being appointed, had reassigned several top aides who were supposed to help Cao adjust to his role. According to Politico, that move was intended to reduce the influence of the undersecretary’s role.

Harrison’s departure comes after months of upheaval under Hegseth.

In May, he ordered the military to cut 20% of its four-star generals and admirals, while Hegseth and Trump have fired more than half a dozen top generals since January. They have also fired the only two women serving as four-star officers. In February, Hegseth also fired air force general CQ Brown Jr, the chair of the joint chiefs of staff and the second Black man to serve in that role.

In an unusual speech to top military officials this week, Hegseth railed against diversity and inclusion guidelines and claimed the defense department had previously become “the woke department”. Many veterans reacted furiously to the address by Hegseth, who before being appointed as defense secretary was a host on Fox News.

hipbone2000 on October 4th, 2025 at 13:59 UTC »

The Trump regime is going to fire as many military leaders as it takes until they get a military leadership that won't have any qualms about shooting American citizens.

space_coder on October 4th, 2025 at 13:49 UTC »

Breaking News: An unqualified alcoholic fires the US Navy Chief of Staff.

m1j2p3 on October 4th, 2025 at 13:41 UTC »

No other SecDef in the history of the United States has been worse for readiness and nation defense than this moron.

To all the senators who voted to confirm him, I hold you personally responsible.