Trump reconsidered firing the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff following a private meeting, sources report.

 President-elect Donald Trump and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Charles Q. Brown Jr., engaged in a 20-minute conversation at the Army-Navy football game last weekend.

Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at a Senate hearing in May. 

Dec. 20, 2024, 6:55 AM GMT+6

By Courtney Kube and Carol E. Lee

A meeting between President-elect Donald Trump and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., in a luxury box at the Army-Navy football game last weekend may have postponed Trump's plans to remove Brown from his position, according to two sources familiar with the conversation.

For months, Trump and his close associates have indicated their intent to swiftly remove U.S. military leaders they believe are overly focused on diversity initiatives, frequently citing Brown as an example. However, the meeting at the game, which took place during the second quarter at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland, appears to have had a positive outcome, according to the two sources. Trump and Brown spoke privately for around 20 minutes in the owner’s box, and the conversation was cordial.

Trump, the sources said, is "changing his tone" on Brown and it now seems unlikely that he will be removed from his position in the near future. Brown "congratulated Trump on his election and expressed his readiness to work with the president," one of the sources said, noting that Trump appreciated this. Afterward, Trump reportedly told a traveling companion that the conversation had gone well and that Brown was "doing a good job."

As a result, Trump is now more inclined to keep Brown in his role. Brown, who took over as chairman on Oct. 1, 2023, can remain in the position until his term ends in 2027. Some Republican lawmakers and retired generals have urged Trump not to fire Brown, arguing that doing so could destabilize the military and send the wrong message to service members, especially with Trump’s nominee for Defense Secretary, former Fox News personality Pete Hegseth, facing challenges in his confirmation.

Brown's leadership is seen as a stabilizing force amidst concerns over Hegseth’s controversial policies, lack of experience, and questions regarding his character, the sources said.

A spokesperson for the Trump transition team declined to comment. A representative for the chairman of the Joint Chiefs also declined to comment.

Brown recently met with members of the Trump transition’s Pentagon landing team, including Michael Duffey, a former Pentagon official leading the group. A defense official noted that Brown is “actively supporting the transition team” and working to ensure the president-elect and his national security team are well-informed on potential threats.

On a podcast last month, Hegseth called for Brown’s dismissal, stating, “First of all, you’ve got to fire the chairman of the Joint Chiefs. Any general, admiral, or whoever was involved in any of the DEI woke s--- has got to go.” Hegseth emphasized that military personnel should be judged solely on their warfighting capabilities.

Among those advising Trump not to fire Brown is retired Air Force Gen. Terrence “TJ” O’Shaughnessy, who worked closely with Elon Musk at SpaceX. Brown succeeded O’Shaughnessy as commander of Pacific Air Forces in 2020, and the two became acquainted during active duty. Trump nominated Brown as Air Force chief of staff that same year, making him the first Black American to hold the position.

In 2020, following the death of George Floyd and the ensuing protests, Brown released a heartfelt video discussing the personal challenges and biases he has faced throughout his life and military career. He also spoke candidly about the advice he gives his sons about the dangers they face as young Black men in America. Brown's emotional video surprised many of his colleagues, as it showcased a side of him not typically seen, given his usually reserved demeanor.

“I’m thinking about how full I am with emotion, not just for George Floyd, but for the many African Americans that have suffered the same fate,” Brown said in the video. He reflected on his own experiences as one of the few African Americans in his squadron and as a senior officer.

In June 2020, just days after the video’s release, Trump praised Brown, calling him a “Patriot and Great Leader” in an online post.

Tensions arose over a recruiting memo Brown co-signed in August 2022, which set goals for diversity in officer recruitment for the Air Force and Space Force. The memo was criticized by Republicans, who accused it of imposing racial quotas on the military and argued that it sought to reduce the number of white officers in the Air Force. During Brown’s 2023 confirmation hearing for the chairman role, Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) questioned him about the memo, accusing him of advocating for divisive race-based policies. Brown countered that the memo only established goals for officer applications and was not intended to undermine merit-based recruitment or promotions.

Brown, who has served in the Air Force for over four decades as a combat pilot and commander in the Middle East and Pacific, became the chairman of the Joint Chiefs after serving as Air Force chief of staff for just over three years.