Hegseth says generals who “clung to the woke department … no longer work here”

Updated on: September 30, 2026 / 4:05 PM EDT / CBS News

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a speech on Wednesday that the Pentagon has eliminated roughly 1 in 5 generals and admirals during the second Trump administration through firing or position cuts, following through on Hegseth's pledge to fundamentally change how the Pentagon operates.

Hegseth said he's aimed for the department to be "unrelenting, unapologetic, and uncompromising" in its mission to win. Generals who "clung to the woke department or seem to think civilian control of the military is simply a suggestion, well, they no longer work here," Hegseth said.

"The number crunchers say we fired 10% of the generals and admirals across the force, and that number sounds about right," Hegseth said. "And I know because I directed it that we've also reduced the overall number of general officer slots by an additional 10%. So yes, 20% reduction across the board. Now the media calls that a purge. I call it accountability, and long overdue."

Hegseth gave that update in a speech dubbed the "State of the Force Address," a rare military address to military officers and enlisted service members at the Marine Corps Base in Quantico…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/world/