Hegseth says US cut number of generals, admirals by 20%

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Wednesday that the United States has cut the number of its generals and admirals by 20 percent, in a move he said is aimed at "accountability".

He spoke to troops at the Quantico military base.

How many generals and admirals has Hegseth cut?

Hegseth said 10 percent of generals and admirals were fired across the force. He said the number of general officer slots was also cut by a further 10 percent, for a 20 percent reduction overall.

"The media calls that a purge. I call it accountability, and long overdue," he said.

What did Hegseth say at Quantico?

Hegseth suggested the cuts targeted officers who failed to get on board with his efforts to focus the military on war-fighting rather than the "woke" policies of previous administrations. He described the reductions as an "accomplishment."

"The number-crunchers say we fired 10 percent of the generals and admirals across the force," he told junior officers and enlisted personnel. The address came a year after a similar speech to top officers, in which he said the US military was too fat, too focused on leftist "woke" ideas, and in need of a major shake-up.

He said top officers who "responded positively" to that speech are "leading newly focused and newly empowered and disciplined formations". Those who did not "no longer work here," he said. "We are no longer the woke department, or the weak department," Hegseth said.

"Simple translation of that: no fatties, no trannies, no beardos, no weirdos, no wimps, no radicals. Just warriors -- just tough, ready, committed troops."

How many generals and admirals are in the US military?

Hegseth ordered major cuts in May 2025, including a 10-percent reduction to the overall number of generals and admirals and a 20-percent decrease in the highest four-star ranks. There were 831 active duty US generals and admirals at the end of that month.

Pentagon figures from the end of July 2026, the latest available, showed a higher total of 851 top officers. Asked to clarify whether the 20 percent cuts had been completed or were still ongoing, the Pentagon said: "We have nothing further to provide beyond the secretary's comments."

Why did Hegseth want to cut generals and admirals?

During his confirmation hearing in January 2025, Hegseth argued that the Pentagon's bureaucracy was top-heavy and in need of cuts.

"It's going to be my job, working with those that we hire and those inside the administration, to identify those places where fat can be cut, so it can go toward lethality," he told lawmakers at the time.

Which top military officers have been removed under Trump?

Since returning to office early last year, Trump has overseen a purge of top military personnel. He fired Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Charles "CQ" Brown without explanation in February 2025.

Other senior officers pushed out include the heads of the US Army, Navy and Coast Guard, the general who headed the National Security Agency, the vice chief of staff of the US Air Force, a Navy admiral assigned to NATO, and three top military lawyers. The chief of staff of the Air Force also announced his retirement without explanation just two years into a four-year term, while the head of US Southern Command retired a year into his tenure.

Hegseth has insisted the president is simply choosing the leaders he wants. Democratic lawmakers have raised concerns about the potential politicization of the traditionally neutral US military.

What is Project Meridian?

Hegseth also announced a new project on "the future of warfare" co-led by Elon Musk, marking the tech billionaire's return to a role in President Donald Trump's administration. Hegseth said "Project Meridian" will be "an effort led by America's best minds to study the future of warfare" under the Pentagon's top technology official Emil Michael.

Musk will co-lead the project with Palmer Luckey, the 34-year-old co-founder of defense technology company Anduril Industries, and Newt Gingrich, the 83-year-old Republican former House Speaker. Hegseth said its purpose is to "creatively look to the future and identify the domains that we must conquer and capabilities we must master," though he stressed it is not about developing new strategies or policies.

The project will include hand-picked private sector leaders and subject matter experts. Findings are expected to be completed and submitted within 120 days.