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GOP praise pours in for Army chief of staff ousted by Hegseth
Republicans are rallying behind Gen. Randy George after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly fired him from the Pentagon, praising the former Army chief of staff as a steady and accomplished military leader.
A Pentagon official told The Hill on Thursday that Hegseth asked George to step down as the Army’s 41st chief of staff and retire immediately. He joins the more than a dozen senior military officers dismissed by Hegseth since the start of his term.
George’s abrupt exit — coming amid the ongoing conflict with Iran — was met with apparent shock from Rep. Rich McCormick (R-Ga.), who told Newsmax’s Ed Henry that he would be “very curious to know why” the four-star general was fired.
“I’ve never heard him say anything contrary to what the president’s trying to achieve,” McCormick said Thursday, calling George a “brilliant mind.”
“I thought he’s done a really good job getting the Army ready for war. So, I’d like to hear more because that’s concerning to me.”
Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s chief spokesperson, confirmed George’s retirement on Thursday, writing in a statement: “The Department of War is grateful for General George’s decades of service to our nation. We wish him well in his retirement.”
Support for George quickly poured in online, with House Armed Services Committee (HASC) Chair Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) lauding his efforts to recruit and modernize the branch.
“Throughout his long career in service to America, Gen. George has demonstrated his commitment, courage, and leadership,” Rogers said in a statement on the social platform X. “In his time as the Chief of Staff, we made great progress on increasing recruitment, improving efficiency, and modernizing the Army.
“I thank him for his selfless service to America and wish him the best in his retirement.”
Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.), another HASC member, described George as a “great general, principled leader, & a committed American.”
“The wisdom of his council [sic] comes from his many years of experience and his character as a man,” the Georgia Republican wrote on X. “He is an asset to our country, always putting service before self.”
George assumed the role of Army chief of staff in September 2023, and his term was not supposed to expire until 2027. Commissioned as an infantry officer in 1988, he served in the military and deployed in support of Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
The ouster also struck a chord with retired four-star Gen. Jack Keane, who said Friday morning on Fox News that he did not agree with the decision.
“As far as I’m concerned, I haven’t seen anybody quite like him. He’s got the intelligence. He’s got the discipline. His war-fighting experience is enormous. He’s got the warrior ethos, and he’s transforming the Army and taken it into the new technology and warfare that is so changing,” said Keane, who served a brief stint as acting Army chief of staff in 1993.
“The truth is, he is leading the other services and most of all of that. I don’t agree with his dismissal for sure because of what he is doing to the Army and the change that’s impacting the department writ large.”
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