Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Announces More Sweeping Cuts to the Military's Top Ranks

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Wednesday a 20% reduction in the number of general roles in the U.S. military.

The new reduction, which Hegseth revealed during an address at the Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia on Wednesday afternoon, will double the already 10% cuts to general and flag officer positions that Hegseth instructed the military to make last year.

According to Fox News, which previously reported Hegseth's intention to announce the cuts, military services are being ordered to finish making the reductions by Jan. 1, 2027. The network reported that some of the affected roles are expected to be downgraded, rather than cut entirely.

The additional cuts come amid turmoil within the military’s leadership: At least 20 military and civilian leaders have been pushed out or resigned since Hegseth was sworn in as Defense Secretary. In 2025, Hegseth told the active duty military to cut 20% of its four-star general officers and the National Guard to cut 20% of its top officials. It is not known if all of those reductions have been completed.

Hegseth said in a memo at the time that the reduction plan would eliminate “redundant force structure to optimize and streamline leadership” and that the goal was to prevent “unnecessary bureaucratic layers” within the military, The Associated Press reported.

“This is not a slash-and-burn exercise meant to punish high-ranking officers,” Hegseth said in May 2025. “This has been a deliberative process, working with the Joint Chiefs of Staff with one goal: maximizing strategic readiness and operational effectiveness by making prudent reductions in the general and flag officer ranks.”

Hegseth has faced a wave of backlash from Democrats and some Republicans over his management of the Department of Defense, in addition to his handling of other issues, such as the war in Iran. Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, who has clashed with the Trump Administration on multiple occasions since President Donald Trump returned to the Oval Office, introduced articles of impeachment against Hegseth earlier this month, including allegations regarding the Iran war.

Before that, Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina publicly criticized Hegseth’s management of the agency, after Dan Driscoll resigned as Army Secretary amid reports of tension between him and Hegseth.

“I have never witnessed more inept management of the brave men and women who serve our country,” Tillis said in a social media post. “I urge the President to find a new leader at the Pentagon who will retain and empower our military talent rather than diminish it.”