Trump is going to rebuild our military again!
He did it once before after Barack Obama left it a mess, and now he's got a plan to restore the military’s mission to national defense and end all the “woke” policies that made our military an international laughingstock. Now, with his transition team barreling forward, Trump is preparing an executive order to create a “warrior board” tasked with evaluating the leadership qualities of current officers.
"The Trump transition team is considering a draft executive order that establishes a 'warrior board' of retired senior military personnel with the power to review three- and four-star officers and to recommend removals of any deemed unfit for leadership," reports the Wall Street Journal.
If Donald Trump approves the order, it could fast-track the removal of generals and admirals found to be “lacking in requisite leadership qualities,” according to a draft of the order reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. But it could also create a chilling effect on top military officers, given the president-elect’s past vow to fire “woke generals,” referring to officers seen as promoting diversity in the ranks at the expense of military readiness.
As commander in chief, Trump can fire any officer at will, but an outside board whose members he appoints would bypass the Pentagon’s regular promotion system, signaling across the military that he intends to purge a number of generals and admirals.
The draft executive order outlines plans for a new review process focused on “ leadership capability, strategic readiness, and commitment to military excellence.” However, it doesn’t detail specific criteria or materials that officers would need to submit to demonstrate these standards. Developed by one of several external policy groups advising the transition team, this draft order is just one of numerous executive actions that Trump’s incoming administration is reviewing, one transition official told the Wall Street Journal.
Related: We Now Know What Role Elon Musk Will Play in the Trump Administration
The proposed “warrior board,” composed of retired generals and noncommissioned officers, would evaluate current military leaders and provide recommendations directly to the president. Officers flagged for removal would be required to retire at their existing rank within 30 days.
The establishment of the board would be in line with Trump’s calls for purging what he views as failed generals, including those involved in the chaotic 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, according to people familiar with the policy discussions. Trump has said he would ask all generals involved in the withdrawal to resign by “noon on Inauguration Day.”
The president-elect previewed the move during a campaign event in October, telling an audience that he would create a task force to monitor the “woke generals” and get rid of diversity training in the military.
“They’re gone,” Trump said of those generals, without naming specific officers.
One feared potential target of Trump’s threatened purge could be Air Force Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, according to two defense officials. During the 2020 George Floyd protests, Brown spoke about the impact that movement had on him and what it was like to rise through the military ranks as a Black fighter pilot.
An executive order under review by Trump’s transition team could soon go to him for signing, though final approval depends on his decision upon taking office, according to sources close to the process. The effectiveness of the proposed “warrior board,” designed to assess military leadership, will hinge on Trump’s Defense Secretary to execute its recommendations. At the time of the report, Trump had yet to name Pete Hegseth as his Secretary of Defense.
Pete Hegseth is totally on board with it.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member