Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s purge of the United States military continues to escalate, even as he and President Donald Trump attempt to buy its loyalty.
On Tuesday, the Army announced that Gen. Christopher T. Donahue — commanding general of U.S. Army Europe and Africa, and commander of NATO’s Allied Land Command — will step down in July after only 18 months in the job.
As one of the Army’s most respected officers, Donahue’s removal is especially striking given the administration’s pivot away from NATO and Europe. He joins a growing roster of distinguished officers who have been pushed out or denied promotion for partisan or personal reasons, and/or because they are Black, brown or a woman.
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Critics have warned this purge is weakening the military precisely when it faces potential conflict with China, and after its limitations were exposed by the Iran war. But Hegseth’s moves are also central to America’s democracy crisis.
Historically, America’s military has been apolitical by design, and is loyal to the Constitution and the American people — not to a president or any other politician. But as a personalist leader, Trump sees himself as the State, and believes that the military must be transformed into extensions of his personal will and power.
As the purge continues, the administration is simultaneously seeking a record $1.5 trillion defense budget for 2027, which represents an approximately 40% single-year increase — and one of the largest in American history. This tactic is straight from the authoritarian playbook: Rid the military of independent officers, and then ensure its allegiance.
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