WASHINGTON— A draft executive order being considered by the Trump transition team would create a “warrior board” of retired senior military officials who would have the authority to evaluate three- and four-star officers and suggest the removal of any who are judged unsuitable for leadership.
If Donald Trump approves the order, it could fast-track the removal of generals and admirals found to be “lacking in requsite leadership qualities”, according to a draft of the order received by the Wall Street Journal.
It could enable the swift dismissal of generals and admirals and clear the ranks of those the future commander-in-chief disagrees with for any reason if Trump signs it after he assumes office.
Such a move could gut the Defense Department and create a fearful atmosphere among top military officers, given Trump’s past promise to rid the Pentagon of so-called “woke generals” – those seen as promoting diversity in the ranks.
According to the Wall Street Journal, individuals who are selected for removal by the warrior board would be forwarded to the White House and then retired at their existing rank within 30 days, so circumventing the Pentagon’s standard promotion process.
As president and commander in chief of the U.S. Armed Forces, Trump has the discretion to fire any officer. But an established board would do the heavy lifting and root out officials en masse.
The draft order appears hazy on details and said reviews would focus “on leadership capability, strategic readiness, and commitment to military excellence,” though did not specify how officers would show if they meet such standards.
According to a transition official who spoke to the Journal, the draft order is being reviewed and originated from one of the multiple external policy organizations collaborating with the transition team.
The Hill has sent the Trump transition team a request for comment as to the draft executive order but received no response as of press time.
And a Trump-Vance Transition spokeswoman would not comment to the Journal on the order but said “the American people re-elected President Trump by a resounding margin giving him a mandate to implement the promises he made on the campaign trail. He will deliver.”
If such a board is formed, it would be in line with Trump’s demands to purge the military of generals he believes to be disloyal, those who were involved in highly criticized incidents, like the withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, or those who supported more liberal policies during the Biden administration.
Trump has long been upset with military leaders, such as former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Mark Milley, whom he believes are not appropriately following orders.
After Trump lost reelection in 2020, the retired four-star general spoke to Chinese counterparts to reassure Beijing, and Trump has accused Milley of going behind his back in the closing days of his administration..
“This is an act so egregious that, in times gone by, the punishment would have been DEATH! A war between China and the United States could have been the result of this treasonous act,” Trump wrote in September 2023.
While in the White House the first time, Trump reportedly said he wanted “the kind of generals that Hitler had. . . . People who were totally loyal to him, that follow orders.”
And while on the campaign trail in October, Trump floated the idea of a task force to monitor the “woke generals.”
