Top general fired by Trump administration criticizes use of military for political missions

(CNN) — The former top US general whom Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired last year criticized the use of the military for political missions in an op-ed published Friday, pointing to the Trump administration’s deployment of troops to clamp down on crime in major cities.

“(W)hen presidents use the armed forces for more politically contentious missions, such as addressing domestic crime in cities, the work of the military becomes more fraught,” former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Charles Q. Brown wrote in Foreign Affairs, along with two other authors: Duke political science professor Peter Feaver and North Carolina lawyer Andrew Kragie.

“Resorting to a military solution rather than fixing the underlying incapacity or dysfunction in civilian institutions diverts the military from focusing on its primary combat mission,” the authors continued. “And … it is not the military’s job to save the republic from political impasses. Indeed, if you ask too much of the military, you risk the entire enterprise.”

Brown, a retired Air Force general and the second Black man to serve as America’s most senior general, was fired in February 2025, along with Admiral Lisa Franchetti, who was then the chief of the Navy and the first woman to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The move came as the administration has banned diversity and inclusion efforts across the military and government more generally.

At the Aspen Ideas Festival last week, Brown also expressed concerns over the administration’s firings of Pentagon officials, saying, “What’s starting to happen now is not about merit.”

“It’s important we understand that all these people that are being removed are very well experienced and my concern is that the impact it has on those that are still continuing to serve,” Brown said. “Are they going to have a fair opportunity to advance in their career going forth?”

The Foreign Affairs article did not directly criticize President Donald Trump or anyone in the current government. In one sentence, the authors mentioned both Trump and former President Joe Biden as having “looked to the military to play a leading role in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

But it referred to certain actions carried out by the Trump administration. Since Trump’s return to office, he has expanded the use of the military with the help of Hegseth. Last year, the administration deployed thousands of National Guard troops and hundreds of Marines, to crack down on crime in major cities, including Washington, DC, and Los Angeles.

On Thursday, Hegseth touted the work of the National Guard in Washington amid protesters, whom he called “ingrates.”

“They can’t see law and order and common sense in front of them, that there’s nothing ideological about this group, there’s nothing political about this exercise,” Hegseth said. “Law and order is something all Americans deserve.”

In the op-ed published Friday, Brown and his co-authors also addressed the ongoing celebrations for America’s 250th anniversary and what it means to be patriotic.

“Patriotism means recognizing the promise of America’s founding, the progress of its past, and the potential of a shared future,” the authors wrote.

“Service to a cause greater than oneself, a virtue cultivated in military training, is accessible to all regardless of whether they wear the uniform,” they continued. “In ways big and small, Americans can recognize this milestone of 250 years as a moment to rejuvenate the national interdependence that our founders proclaimed along with independence.”

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CNN’s Oren Liebermann and Haley Britzky contributed to this report.