Trump’s team considers filing executive order to create panel to purge 'woke' generals

Donald Trump's transition team is considering submitting an executive order to create a panel of retired military officers to purge "woke" generals.

According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, the Trump team reviewed a draft that proposes to establish a "warrior board" composed of retired military personnel.  The board will have the power to evaluate the performance of three- and four-star officers and recommend the removal of those deemed unfit for the job or leadership.

The draft obtained by the newspaper points out that if Donald Trump approves the order, it could accelerate the removal of generals and admirals deemed "lacking in requisite leadership qualities."

The draft also states that the panel's goal is to implement a review focused on "leadership capability, strategic readiness, and commitment to military excellence." However, it does not give much detail on what a general would have to meet to live up to those standards.

The report indicates that the order comes from one of several outside policy groups collaborating with the transition team and is under review.

The draft further states that the panel would be composed of retired generals and non-commissioned officers charged with forwarding their recommendations to the president. Generals or high-ranking officers identified for removal would be recalled at their current rank within 30 days.

According to some experts consulted by the WSJ, such an order could also create a deterrent effect among generals and other high-ranking officers who fear losing their positions.

During the campaign, President Trump promised he would fire "woke generals," emphasizing officers who promote diversity in the ranks over military readiness and merit.

However, such an order would also target generals who, for example, were involved in the troubled and contested Afghanistan withdrawal, which the president-elect has heavily criticized.

Trump has said publicly that he will ask for the resignation of all generals involved in the Afghanistan withdrawal by "noon on Inauguration Day." However, the Republican front-runner has never mentioned a specific name.

According to sources consulted by the WSJ, Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is among the high-ranking military officers who could be targeted for removal.

Brown Jr. has gained national prominence on multiple occasions for comments considered progressive. For example, during the 2020 protests and riots following the death of George Floyd, the general made comments about how the racial justice movement had a significant impact on him.

The panel's review and consideration of the executive order come as the Trump team seeks to make reforms within the Department of Defense, especially around the size of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, which the president-elect's staff sees as too large and inefficient.

According to the WSJ, some former officials are concerned with such a move, warning that it could lead to the politicization of the Army or to generals becoming men who only give affirmative responses to orders without considering potential illegalities or strategic errors.

"Do they start wearing MAGA hats in formation to signal who’s where?" a former top Pentagon official told the WSJ after being told about the panel's idea. "The potential for this to go wrong is infinite."

It is not uncommon for a president to remove generals; in fact, there are several precedents. For example, President Harry Truman fired Army Gen. Douglas MacArthur for publicly criticizing the administration's Asia security strategy.

Likewise, Democratic President Barack Obama fired Army General Stanley McChrystal as his commander in Afghanistan after several comments by subordinates of the military leader questioning the administration were published in a magazine.

Such an executive order would also demonstrate the definitive break between Trump and the Pentagon generals, with whom, in principle, he had a good relationship that frayed during his first term to the point of becoming completely at odds with several high-ranking officers, including retired Army Gen. Mark Milley.