Hegseth urges US Army chief of staff to resign

The Chief of Staff of the armed forces, General Randy George, is stepping down from his post with immediate effect, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell wrote on Platform X. The US broadcaster CBS News reported that Hegseth had asked the general to resign. A ministry official confirmed to Deutsche Presse-Agentur that the report was true. Other US media reported that Hegseth had fired George.

The change in leadership at the Army is happening while the US is at war with Iran. CBS News did not give a connection to this or any other specific reason for the move. Hegseth wanted someone in the post who would realize the vision President Donald Trump and he had for the Army, the station reported, citing a person familiar with the decision. The deputy chief of staff of the army, Christopher LaNeve, will now take over the post on an interim basis, according to the report.

George was nominated by Trump's Democratic predecessor Joe Biden to become Chief of Staff of the US Army in 2023. According to CBS News, he would normally have held the post until 2027. The broadcaster pointed out that Hegseth has already dismissed more than a dozen high-ranking military officers.