'Fear' among senior military leaders over purge of top defense officials: Fox News
Tuesday, February 17, 2026
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Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the firing of Col. Dave Butler, a key advisor to Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, who is currently negotiating the end of the war against Ukraine, citing "concerns" about his promotion, despite Butler being selected by the Army board and slated to receive his first star.
The move has sparked "fear, uncertainty, and an unwillingness to speak up" among senior military leaders, with several high-ranking officials, including Admiral Lisa Franchetti, General CQ Brown, and General James Mingus, being forced into retirement without reason since Hegseth took over the Pentagon, according to Fox News' Jennifer Griffin.
Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, a close ally of Vice President JD Vance, resisted the firing of Butler, praising his "lifetime of service" and "integral part" in the Army's transformation efforts, as Butler volunteered to remove himself from the promotion list to allow others to advance, amidst a larger purge of top defense officials under the Trump administration.
