Shortly after taking office, President Donald Trump laid out a plan aimed at purging woke ideology from the United States Armed Forces.

A recent Pentagon leak suggests that his latest move will involve firing the military's highest ranking officer.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said to be on the way out

That's according to the Daily Caller, which pointed to a report published by CNN earlier this week. It cited sources who said that Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown is set to be removed as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Brown, who was appointed to his current role in 2023 by then President Joe Biden, faced allegations that he had used racial quotas when making Air Force hiring decisions.

Indo-Pacific command leader Gen. Samuel Paparo and U.S. Central Command in the Middle East commander Gen. Erik Kurilla are reportedly being considered as possible replacements for Brown.

The Daily Caller noted how Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth previously spoke of the need to get rid of Brown last year during a podcast appearance last year.

Pete Hegseth: Anyone "involved in any of the DEI woke s--t has got to go"

"First of all, you’ve got to fire the chairman of the Joint Chiefs," the future defense secretary told podcast host and former Navy SEAL Shawn Ryan.

"But any general that was involved – general, admiral, whatever – that was involved in any of the DEI woke s--t has got to go," he insisted.

"Either you’re in for warfighting, and that’s it," Hegseth went on to stress before adding, "That’s the only litmus test we care about."

More recently, Hegseth has instructed top military commanders as well as the directors of multiple defense agencies to come up with cost saving plans.

Border operations, other key areas to be spared from spending reductions

The New York Post reported earlier this week that the secretary is looking for ways to downsize the Defense Department's $850 billion annual budget by roughly 8%.

Pete Hegseth orders defense leadership to draw up plans for steep budget cuts as DOGE enters the Pentagon: report https://t.co/SN5ArHfu1X pic.twitter.com/QgEBzvxaTv

— New York Post (@nypost) February 19, 2025

Nevertheless, Hegseth specified that 17 areas are to be spared from any budgetary cutbacks, including military operations along America's border with Mexico.

What's more, funding for nuclear weapons modernization, missile defense systems, submarine acquisition, one-way attack drones, and other munitions will also remain unaffected.