Ex-top General Warns Against Military's Political Exploitation

WHO:

CNN - Charles Q. Brown, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, retired Air Force general

CNN - Pete Hegseth, Defense Secretary

CNN - Admiral Lisa Franchetti, former chief of the Navy

CNN - Peter Feaver, Duke political science professor

CNN - Andrew Kragie, North Carolina lawyer

Alternet - Mark Hertling, retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen.

Alternet - William H. McRaven, retired U.S. Navy Adm.

WHAT:

CNN - Charles Q. Brown criticized the use of the military for political missions in an op-ed published in Foreign Affairs.

CNN - Brown stated that using the military for politically contentious missions diverts it from its primary combat mission.

CNN - Thousands of National Guard troops and hundreds of Marines were deployed to major cities, including Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles, to address crime.

Alternet - Brown's op-ed was described as his "most direct critique" of the Trump administration's handling of the military.

WHERE:

CNN - Major cities including Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles were mentioned as locations for troop deployment.

Alternet - The Aspen Institute was the location of a recent event where Brown expressed his concerns.

WHEN:

CNN - Brown was fired in February 2025.

CNN - The op-ed was published just ahead of the Fourth of July.

WHY:

CNN - Brown warned that the military's involvement in political matters risks undermining its professionalism and effectiveness.

Alternet - Concerns were raised about the impact of purges at the Pentagon on military preparedness.

HOW:

CNN - Brown and his co-authors emphasized the need for the military to remain nonpartisan and connected to American society.

CNN - Hegseth defended the deployment of troops, stating that law and order is something all Americans deserve.

(UPDATED July 3, 2026 15:42 UTC)

Charles Q. Brown, a retired Air Force general and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has published an op-ed in Foreign Affairs criticizing the use of the military for political missions, which he argues diverts it from its primary combat role. In his piece, described as his most direct critique of the Trump administration's military handling, Brown warns that such involvement risks undermining the military's professionalism and effectiveness, especially as thousands of National Guard troops and hundreds of Marines were deployed to cities like Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles to address crime. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended this troop deployment, asserting that law and order is a right all Americans deserve.