Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Urges U.S. Army Chief Of Staff To Step Down
on Apr 02, 2026
Pete Hegseth Urges Army Chief To Retire
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has reportedly requested Army Chief Gen. Randy George to step down and retire immediately, according to sources familiar with the decision.
One source said Hegseth is seeking new leadership aligned with his and President Donald Trump’s vision for the Army. A senior Defense Department official added:
“We are grateful for his service, but it was time for a leadership change in the Army.”
Gen. Christopher LaNeve, the current vice chief of staff and a former aide to Hegseth, is reportedly considered as a replacement. He previously led the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division from 2022 to 2023.
STATEMENT:
— Sean Parnell (@SeanParnellASW) April 2, 2026
General Randy A. George will be retiring from his position as the 41st Chief of Staff of the Army effective immediately. The Department of War is grateful for General George’s decades of service to our nation. We wish him well in his retirement.
Who Is Gen. Randy George?
George, a career infantry officer and graduate of United States Military Academy at West Point, previously served as senior military assistant to former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin from 2021 to 2022. His decades-long service included deployments in the Gulf War as well as conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Nominated by Joe Biden and confirmed by the Senate in 2023, George was expected to serve a four-year term through 2027.
He was commissioned as an infantry officer from United States Military Academy at West Point in 1988, according to his official Army biography. Over his career, George deployed in multiple major conflicts, including Operation Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom.
The @USArmy Chief of Staff, Gen. Randy George, shared experience-driven guidance with cadets preparing to lead. Thank you for investing in our future Army leaders. pic.twitter.com/F0Q7NGMRY5
— U.S. Military Academy at West Point (@WestPoint_USMA) April 2, 2026
The news comes on the same day President Donald Trump fired U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. She had served in the Trump administration for just over a year.
The removal from Bondi’s role as AG comes months after she oversaw the Department of Justice’s controversial rollout of the files pertaining to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Over the next month I will be working tirelessly to transition the office of Attorney General to the amazing Todd Blanche before moving to an important private sector role I am thrilled about, and where I will continue fighting for President Trump and this Administration.…
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) April 2, 2026
Sources close to the Trump administration indicate he is eyeing EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin to be the permanent replacement for Bondi, but that decision has not yet been announced.
The removal of Bondi follows Trump’s removal of Kristi Noem as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security last month. Her replacement, Marmwayne Mullin, was sworn in as head of DHS on March 24.
