US President Donald Trump dismissed General Charles "CQ" Brown, the top US military officer, on Friday, marking a major shake-up in the leadership of the armed forces.

Trump did not provide a reason for Brown's removal, which came less than two years into his four-year term as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. This follows a series of federal worker layoffs and efforts to dismantle government institutions early in Trump's second term.

Brown, nominated by Democratic President Joe Biden, was the second Black person to hold the position.

In response to Brown’s dismissal, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that he was searching for a replacement for Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the first woman to lead the US Navy.

Brown had made personal remarks about discrimination in the military, particularly after the 2020 murder of George Floyd. Reflecting on his own career, Brown said, “I’m thinking about the pressure I felt to perform error-free, especially for supervisors I perceive had expected less from me as an African American.”