US defence secretary Hegseth mulls shake-up in military leadership, targets high-ranking officials

US President Donald Trump's newly appointed defence secretary Pete Hegseth is circulating 'handful of names' of top military general to congressional Republicans he is interested in firing .According to a report by Fox News, chief of naval operations Lisa Franchetti is among the list who i the second woman to be promoted to a four-star Admiral in the Navy’s history."She is one of the folks on the list," an official told Fox.According to top Republicans on the armed services committee, they have heard about the list, but had not seen it themselves. The list has not been finalsed, however, it has been conveyed to Republican members of Congress, not Democrats."I may have heard a rumor, but I'm not going to speculate on rumors," Senate armed service committee chair Roger Wicker told Fox."No one has approached me about such a list other than people asking me questions," he added.This comes as Hegseth was scheduled to travel to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to conduct a media interview, but the trip was postponed until Tuesday.Some officials have taken the postponement to be another sign that firings could be imminent as ate Friday is often the time that firings are announced in Washington. During her tenure, Franchetti commanded two aircraft carrier strike groups in the Pacific and served as the commander of US Naval Forces Korea. She also held key roles as the deputy chief of naval operations for warfighting development and as the director for strategy, plans, and policy on the Joint Staff. As head of the Navy's 6th Fleet, Franchetti led the Navy’s response to Syrian President Bashar al Assad's use of chemical weapons.Admiral Michael Gilday, former Chief of Naval Operations, praised Franchetti upon her nomination by then-President Joe Biden in July 2023, calling her a “warfighter with combat experience,” an “operational leader,” and an “innovator.” He also highlighted her skills as a team builder, trailblazer, and a testament to personal and professional resilience, noting her embodiment of the American dream and the values of service and sacrifice.Meanwhile, Hegseth, known for his outspoken views, has publicly claimed that women should not serve in combat roles. Earlier, during his appearance on the Shawn Ryan Show podcast, he argued that women in combat “hasn’t made us more effective, hasn’t made us more lethal, and has made fighting more complicated.” He later clarified his comments, explaining they had been “misconstrued,” and reaffirmed his support for women in the military, acknowledging that some of the best warriors are women.In another development, Joint Chiefs Chairman CQ Brown is rumored to be on the list for upcoming changes. When asked whether he would fire Brown on his first day in office, Hegseth responded, "I look forward to working with him," with Brown standing next to him at the time.