On August 22, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired Lieutenant General Jeffrey Kruse, Vice Admiral Nancy Lacore, and Rear Admiral Milton Sands.
The reason for their terminations was not made clear. However, an observation of some underlying facts and patterns offers some clues.
Lieutenant General Kruse of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) was involved in the initial intelligence assessment that the bombing of Iranian nuclear sites did minimal damage. This assessment infuriated Trump, and he dismissed it. If Kruse was fired for the sake of political expedience, and for not manipulating intelligence to suit the politics of the President, his termination would be illegal.
Hegseth has a history of firing women military leaders regardless of their individual merits. He has complained about the military embracing “wokism” before being appointed to his current position. He was able to act on this belief by firing Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Linda Fagan. Vice Admiral Lacore may very well have been fired merely for being a woman.
Reportedly, Rear Admiral Sands was fired as a result of clashes with Pentagon leadership. He pushed for “accountability and transparency,” which are anathema to Hegseth’s Defense Department.
