HEGSETH: ‘LESS GENERALS, MORE GIs’: When it comes to the number of generals and admirals in the U.S. military, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has determined there are too many stars in the firmament.
On Monday, Hegseth issued a memorandum titled General/Flag Officer Reductions to senior Pentagon leadership, ordering the removal of “redundant force structure to optimize and streamline leadership by reducing excess general and flag officer positions.”
“That’s the official title. My title is ‘Less Generals, More GI’s,’” Hegseth said in a companion video posted on X. “We’re going to shift resources from bloated headquarters elements to our war fighters.” Hegseth called the plan “historic” and the “most comprehensive review since the Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986,” which he said was “a generational change in combat command structures.”
“Let’s take a bit of a trip down memory lane in history,” Hegseth said in the video. “When we were fighting across the globe during World War II, we had a force that was 12-million-strong. For that 12-million-man element, we had 17 four-and-five-star generals. Today, we have 2.1 million service members and 44 four-star and flag officers. So, it used to be a ratio of one general to 6,000 troops. Today, it’s one general to 1,400.”
‘NOT A SLASH AND BURN EXERCISE’: Critics quickly framed the initiative as an effort to purge insufficiently loyal military leaders from the ranks. “He’s creating a formal framework to fire all the generals who disagree with him — and the president,” former Marine Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) told the Associated Press.
However, Hegeth insists there is no political motive for reducing general and flag officers. “It’s in keeping with President Trump’s commitment to achieving peace through strength,” he said. “More generals than admirals does not equal more success.”
“This is not a slash-and-burn exercise meant to punish high-ranking officers. Nothing could be further from the truth. This has been a deliberative process working with the Joint Chiefs of Staff with one goal: maximizing strategic readiness and operational effectiveness.”
Hegseth said the plan will be carried out “carefully, but expeditiously” in two phases. “Phase one is a minimum of 20% reduction of four-star and flag officers for active duty elements and a minimum of 20% reduction of general and flag officers in the National Guard Bureau,” he said. “Phase two will produce a minimum of an additional 10% reduction of overall general and flag officers throughout the DOD.”
REED: ‘SKEPTICAL OF THE RATIONALE’: The Republican chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee expressed tentative support for the plan, but the top Democrat on the committee was skeptical.
Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS) told the Washington Examiner that while “there’s merit to the idea,” he hopes “it’s implemented on a stepped basis and not done abruptly.”
Ranking member Jack Reed (D-RI) was dubious about whether “arbitrary percentages” were the best way to achieve efficiency in the command structure. “Tough personnel decisions should be based on facts and analysis,” he said. “Eliminating the positions of many of our most skilled and experienced officers without sound justification would not create ‘efficiency’ in the military – it could cripple it.”
“I have always advocated for efficiency at the Department of Defense,” he said. “Secretary Hegseth has shown an eagerness to dismiss military leaders without cause, and I will be skeptical of the rationale for these plans until he explains them before the Armed Services Committee.”
HEGSETH ORDERS PURGE OF SENIOR COMMANDERS, CUTTING 20% OF FOUR-STAR GENERALS AND ADMIRALS
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HAPPENING TODAY: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is at MacDill Air Force base in Tampa this morning to attend Special Operations Forces Week events and “engage with senior U.S. and partner nation special operations leaders,” according to the Pentagon. Hegseth’s 8:45 a.m. keynote address will be live-streamed by the Pentagon at https://www.defense.gov/News/Live-Events.
ALSO TODAY ON THE HILL: The Senate Armed Services Committee will take up the nominations this morning of Anthony Tata to be undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness and Katherine Sutton to be assistant secretary of defense for cyber policy.
Then, this afternoon, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin, Chief Of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman, and acting Secretary of the Air Force Gary Ashworth will testify before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense on the state of the Air and Space forces.
Later, the vice chiefs of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Marines will update a House Armed Services Subcommittee on the state of military readiness.
HEGSETH’S SIGNAL HEADACHE WON’T GO AWAY: The Wall Street Journal, which has recently been added to President Trump’s enemies list, is out with another story about Pete Hegseth’s alleged irresponsible use of the messaging app Signal.
“Hegseth used Signal more extensively for official Pentagon business than previously disclosed, engaging in at least a dozen separate chats,” the report said, citing “people familiar with his management practices.”
“In one case, he told aides on the encrypted app to inform foreign governments about an unfolding military operation,” the sources told the Wall Street Journal. “He also used the nongovernmental message service to discuss media appearances, foreign travel, his schedule, and other unclassified but sensitive information.”
Hegseth is under investigation by the Pentagon’s independent Inspector General, who, at the request of Congress, is looking into questions about whether his Signal use violated security, record-keeping, and compliance directives.
Democrats, who have called for Hegseth’s firing, have resigned themselves to the fact that Trump appears unconcerned about the Signalgate flap. “It seems that Trump wants to keep Hegseth around,” said Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) on CNN last night. “[Hegseth] said he was going to bring accountability back to the Department of Defense. Well, apparently that doesn’t apply to him.”
“If Trump is breaking the law, he likes to surround himself with other lawbreakers, and Pete Hegseth is clearly breaking the law,” Moulton said. “He has no accountability for his own behavior … And as a result, we have a secretary of defense who is himself a risk to our national security.”
TINA SMITH SAYS HEGSETH ‘SHOULD BE FIRED’ OVER NEW ALLEGATIONS OF SIGNAL USE
TRUMP: ‘WALL STREET JOURNAL HAS TRULY GONE TO HELL’: Trump has made it pretty clear that he won’t be making personnel decisions based on reporting by the Wall Street Journal, a respected conservative newspaper that has become Trump’s latest nemesis.
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One Sunday, Trump lashed out at a reporter after ascertaining he was with the Wall Street Journal. “That’s what I thought. Boy, you people treat us so badly. Wall Street Journal has truly gone to hell,” he said “Rotten newspaper. You hear me? What I said? It’s a rotten newspaper.”
Even though he told the reporter to proceed with his question about U.S.-China trade talks, Trump refused to answer. “I wouldn’t tell the Wall Street Journal because it’d be wasting my time. There are talks, but I don’t want to talk to the Wall Street Journal. Look, Wall Street Journal is China-oriented, and they’re really bad for this country.”
VIP HELO FLIGHTS TO PENTAGON PAUSED: ‘TAKE A TAXI OR UBER’: On the Mall Entrance side of the Pentagon is a helipad routinely used for Black Hawks and other military helicopters to pick up and drop off VIPs to the building. But after the events of last Thursday, in which two commercial airliners were waved off landing because of the flight pattern of an Army helicopter heading to the Pentagon, all helicopter traffic to the Pentagon has been halted.
A video posted by a local traffic reporter shows the Black Hawk approaching the Pentagon but not landing while Delta Flight 1671 abandons its approach to Reagan National Airport and climbs to avoid coming too close to the helicopter.
“Unacceptable,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy ranted on X. “Our helicopter restrictions around DCA are crystal clear. In addition to investigations from @NTSB and @FAANews, I’ll be talking to @DeptofDefense to ask why our rules were disregarded.”
“No more helicopter rides for VIPs or unnecessary training in a congested DCA airspace full of civilians,” Duffy wrote. “Take a taxi or Uber.”
While a Federal Aviation Administration document described the Army helicopter as using a “scenic route,” the Army insisted the helicopter was instructed to go around again before landing in accordance with Army-published FAA flight routes.
TWO DC FLIGHT LANDINGS ABORTED OVER NEARBY MILITARY HELICOPTER DESPITE NEW RESTRICTIONS
THE RUNDOWN:
Washington Examiner: Hegseth orders purge of senior commanders, cutting 20% of four-star generals and admirals
Washington Examiner: Coast Guard stacks up drug seizures south of border as Trump amps up military presence
Washington Examiner: Trump administration pushes self-deportation as ideal way for immigrants to leave US
Washington Examiner: Trump administration now paying $1,000 to illegal immigrants who self-deport
Washington Examiner: Pence lambastes second Trump administration, says it’s a departure from his work during the first
Washington Examiner: Israeli finance minister says country should embrace ‘occupation’ of Gaza
Washington Examiner: Iran terrorist threat underlined by significant UK arrests
Washington Examiner: House leadership yanks Israel anti-boycott bill from consideration due to ‘issues’
Washington Examiner: Tina Smith says Hegseth ‘should be fired’ over new allegations of Signal use
Wall Street Journal: Hegseth Used Multiple Signal Chats for Official Pentagon Business
The Hill: Israel Attacks Houthi Targets After Airport Strike on Tel Aviv
Reuters: Merz fails to be elected chancellor by German parliament
AP: India’s leader Modi touted all was well in Kashmir. A massacre of tourists shattered that claim
Wall Street Journal: The World’s Top Jet Fighter Is About to Get More Expensive
Military.com: Marine Aviator Describes Historic F-35 Combat Sortie in Mission Against Yemen’s Houthis
Washington Post: Army Suspends Helicopter Flights to Pentagon After Airliners Abort Landings
Defense News: Defense Firms Closely Watching Tariffs, but Split on Potential Sting
Breaking Defense: Air Force Now Expects Sentinel ICBMs Will ‘Predominantly’ Need New Silos
Breaking Defense: Golden Dome’s Need for More SBIs May Moot Savings from Lower Launch Costs: CBO
SpaceNews: Space Force Remains Skeptical on Satellite Refueling: ‘Show Me the Military Advantage’
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Air Force, Space Force Brace For Wave of Civilian Staff Reductions
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Growing Space Force Needs More Enlisted, CMSSF Says
Military.com: Gen. Allvin Outlines Air Force Moves to ‘Revive Our Warrior Ethos and Rebuild Our Military’
The War Zone: Can The OA-1K Skryraider II Actually Be Useful in a Pacific Fight?
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Air Force Eyes Less Class Time, More PT at Basic Training
Defense One: Wanted: Counter-Drone Defenses That Don’t Hurt Surrounding Neighborhoods
Air & Space Forces Magazine: DOD Shows It Can Reuse Hypersonic Testbed, Setting Up Faster Testing
THE CALENDAR:
TUESDAY | MAY 6
9:30 a.m. G-50 Dirksen — Senate Armed Services Committee hearing: the nominations of Anthony Tata to be undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness; and Katherine Sutton to be assistant secretary of defense for cyber policy. http://www.armed-services.senate.gov
10 a.m. 310 Cannon — House Homeland Security Transportation and Maritime Security Subcommittee hearing: “Beijing Air, Space, and Maritime Surveillance from Cuba: A Growing Threat to the Homeland” http://homeland.house.gov
10 a.m. — Atlantic Council virtual discussion: “What to Expect from Germany Next Government,” with Sophia Besch, senior fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Europe Program; Shahin Vallee, senior research fellow, German Council on Foreign Relation Center for Geopolitics, Geoeconomics, and Technology; Jorn Fleck, senior director, Atlantic Council Europe Center; and Rachel Rizzo, nonresident senior fellow, Atlantic Council Europe Center https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event
12 p.m. — Air and Space Forces Association Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies virtual discussion: “Why We Need Assured Access to Space,” with Brig. Gen. Kristin Panzenhagen, program executive officer for assured access to space, Space Force; and Charles Galbreath, senior resident fellow for spacepower studies, Mitchell Institute Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence https://afa-org.zoom.us/webinar/register
12:30 p.m. 1400 L St. NW — Atlantic Council discussion: “Europe Evolving Security Landscape,” with Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/belgiums-defense-minister
2 p.m. H-140, U.S. Capitol — House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing: “Oversight Hearing — The U.S. Air Force and Space Force,” with testimony from Gen. David Allvin, chief of staff of the Air Force; Gary Ashworth acting secretary of the Air Force; and Gen. B. Chance Saltzman, chief of space operations for the Space Force http://appropriations.house.gov
3 p.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee hearing: “Military Readiness for FY2026,” with testimony from Gen. James Mingus, Army vice chief of staff; Adm. James Kilby, vice chief of naval operations; Gen. Christopher Mahoney, assistant commandant of the Marine Corps; Lt. Gen. Adrian Spain, deputy Air Force chief of staff for operations; and Gen. Michael Guetlein, Space Force vice chief of space operations http://www.armedservices.house.gov
3:30 p.m. 2212 Rayburn — House Armed Services Cyber, Information Technologies, and Innovation Subcommittee hearing: “Science, Technology, and Innovation Posture,” with testimony from James Mazol, performing the duties of the undersecretary of defense for research and engineering and Chief Technology Officer; Doug Beck, director, Defense Innovation Unit: and George Rumford, director, Test Resource Management Center https://armedservices.house.gov
WEDNESDAY | MAY 7
10 a.m. H-140, U.S. Capitol — House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing: “Oversight Hearing — The U.S. Army,” with testimony from Daniel Driscoll, secretary of the Army; and Gen. Randy George, chief of staff of the Army http://appropriations.house.gov
11 a.m. — Heritage Foundation virtual discussion of a new report, “A Strategy to Revitalize the Defense Industrial Base for the 21st Century,” with Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) https://www.heritage.org/defense/event/revitalizing-the-defense-industrial-base
2:30 p.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute discussion: “What Happening in Minsk?” with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Belarus opposition leader https://www.hudson.org/events/whats-happening-minsk
3 p.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee hearing: “Nuclear Forces and Atomic Energy Defense Activities Programmatic Updates,” with testimony from Air Force Lt. Gen. Andrew Gebara, deputy chief of staff, strategic deterrence and nuclear integration; Vice Adm. Johnny Wolfe, director, Strategic Systems Programs; Teresa Robbins, acting administrator, National Nuclear Security Administration; Brandi Vann, performing the duties of the assistant secretary of defense for nuclear, chemical, and biological defense programs; and Andrea Yaffe, acting principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for space policy http://www.armedservices.house.gov
3:30 p.m. 2212 Rayburn House Armed Services Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee hearing: “Update on Air Force Projection Forces Aviation Programs and Capabilities,” with testimony from Lt. Gen. David Tabor, deputy Air Force chief of staff for plans and programs; and Darlene Costello, principal deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology and logistics http://www.armedservices.house.gov
3:30 p.m. 300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Politico discussion: “Securing Europe: NATO Next Steps,” with Benedikt Franke, vice-chairman and CEO of the Munich Security Conference https://politico-securingnato
THURSDAY | MAY 8
9 a.m. 2212 Rayburn — House Armed Services Cyber, Information Technologies, and Innovation Subcommittee hearing: “Information Technology and Artificial Intelligence Posture of the Department of Defense,” with testimony from Douglas Matty, DOD chief digital and artificial intelligence officer; and Katie Arrington, performing the duties of DOD chief information officer y http://www.armedservices.house.gov
9 a.m. — Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies virtual discussion: “Space superiority, space fires, Golden Dome, and the continued delivery of unparalleled spacepower advantage,” with Lt. Gen. Thomas James, deputy commander, U.S. Space Command; and Charles Galbreath, senior resident fellow for spacepower studies, Mitchell Institute Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence https://www.mitchellaerospacepower.org/events/ltg-thomas-l-james/
9 a.m. 2008 Rayburn — House Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee hearing: “Oversight Hearing – The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency,” with testimony from Bridget Bean, acting director, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency http://appropriations.house.gov
9 a.m. 138 Dirksen — Senate Appropriations Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing: “A Review of the President FY2026 Budget Request for the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” with testimony from FBI Director Kash Patel http://appropriations.senate.gov
9 a.m. Cannon Caucus Room 390 — United Against Nuclear Iran displays an Iranian Shahed-136 drone on Capitol Hill to call attention to Iran malign drone proliferation, with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA); Sen. James Lankford (R-OK); Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY) [email protected]
9:30 a.m. 1400 L St. NW — Atlantic Council discussion: “National Security and the Future of Space Commerce,” with retired Gen. John Raymond, former chief of space operations at U.S. Space Force https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/general-john-raymond
11 a.m. 1750 Independence Dr. — Friends of the National World War II Memorial V-E Day 80th Anniversary Commemoration, to “pay tribute to the more than 400,000 Americans who gave their lives and the more than 60 million souls lost worldwide in the deadliest conflict in human history.” https://www.wwiimemorialfriends.org/ceremony-registration
12 p.m. — Association of the U.S. Army “Noon Report” webinar: “U.S. Army: Powering the Mission,” with Brandon Cockrell, deputy assistant Army secretary for energy and sustainability https://www.ausa.org/events/noon-report/us-army-powering-the-mission
12:30 p.m. 1301 Connecticut Ave. NW — Institute for Policy Studies book discussion: Fire and Rain: Nixon, Kissinger, and the Wars in Southeast Asia, with author Carolyn Woods Eisenberg https://ips-dc.org/event/fire-and-rain
3 p.m. — Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies virtual discussion: “Logistics While Under Attack: Key to a CCA (Concepts and Capability Assessments) Force Design,” with Brig. Gen. Joseph Kunkel, director of force design, integration, and wargaming for the Deputy Chief of Staff for Air Force Futures; Mark Gunzinger, director of future concepts and capability assessments, Mitchell Institute; and retired Lt. Gen. David Deptula, dean, Mitchell Institute https://www.mitchellaerospacepower.org/events/research-study-release-cca2025/
FRIDAY | MAY 9
12 p.m. 112 Elden St., Suite P, Herndon, Virginia — Clare Boothe Luce Center for Conservative Women discussion: “Escaping North Korea: From Brainwashing to Freedom,” with Seohyun Lee, North Korean defector and human rights advocate https://tinyurl.com/48c7pcdy
